[ga] The twits at ICANN are at it again

[Joe Baptista <baptista@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is inappropriate behaviour from ICANN and a clear indication that 
technically they have no common sense.
Every time they retire the root servers they put the Internet at risk of 
fracturing.  And after repeated warnings  they are at it again.  In this 
case the fracture involves the removal of a root servers - theirs - L root.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/06/icann_rolls_out_new_root_name_server_address/

An interesting point made by the article attests that "the old IP 
address - 198.32.64.12 - wasn't officially under ICANN's control".   
Indeed the article is correct.  It is under the control of Bill Manning, 
a former root operator with the IANA root.  ICANN should of known better 
then to have launched a root on ARPA IP infrastructure not under its 
control.
$ whois 198.32.64.12

OrgName:    Exchange Point Blocks
OrgID:      EPB
Address:    PO 12317
City:       Marina del Rey
StateProv:  CA
PostalCode:
Country:    US

NetRange:   198.32.0.0 - 198.32.255.255
CIDR:       198.32.0.0/16
NetName:    NET-EP-1
NetHandle:  NET-198-32-0-0-1
Parent:     NET-198-0-0-0-0
NetType:    Direct Assignment
NameServer: DOT.EP.NET
NameServer: FLAG.EP.NET
Comment:
RegDate:    1997-06-09
Updated:    2001-12-17

RTechHandle: WM110-ARIN
RTechName:   Manning, Bill
RTechPhone:  +1-310-322-8102
RTechEmail:  bmanning@xxxxxxxxxxx

# ARIN WHOIS database, last updated 2007-11-10 19:10
# Enter ? for additional hints on searching ARIN's WHOIS database.

Good for you Bill Manning - tech those ICANN buggers the rules.  Go 
manning Go.
But the truth here is that the L root at 198.32.64.12 will continue to 
receive queries forever.  That is the nature of IP and root 
infrastructure.  The L root at 198.32.64.12 will continue to receive 
queries forever because most of the installed root.cache files on DNS 
servers world wide are hard coded with the IP address 198.32.64.12.
There are also security risks in retireing an IP address that is used 
for root service.  The IP address at 198.32.64.12 become a RISK point to 
Internet security.  If the IP address gets highjaked a single operator 
could shut down the Internet or redirected it via IP 198.32.64.12.   I 
did that to the country of Turkey recently.  I redirected a root under 
my control in the Inclusive Name Space to cnn in order to get rid of the 
traffic.  It works.  You lose alot of the traffic off the IP.  Not all 
of it.  Lots of servers configured with old infrastructure are automated 
- but not monitored.
I warned ICANN about this risk the last time they dropped a root server 
from the legacy IANA infrastructure.  They didn't pay any attention back 
then.  I'm glad today they have decided to fix the problem with non 
owned infrastructure operating as a root IP by getting their own.  Well 
played - a few years too late.
Cheers
Joe Baptista

--
Joe Baptista                                www.publicroot.org
PublicRoot Consortium
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