Subject: [DNSOP] Fwd: Adding DNS providers to the registration

From: Steve Crocker <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2020 12:47:25 -0500

Folks,

I've started a new mailing list for discussion of how to facilitate both DS
updates and cross-signing of zones when there are multiple DNS providers.
My tastes run toward "push/registrar" solutions for DS updates, but it's
certainly possible to use pull instead of push and registry instead of
registrar.  RFC 8078 is a pull/registry solution.  I believe some ccTLDs
are using it, but I have not seen any traction within the gTLD community.

I'm hoping one or more concrete proposals emerge from the interactions on
this list.  If they do, they will be submitted through the usual channels
for adoption.  (Some aspects will likely be appropriate for the IETF;
others for ICANN or other bodies.)  This activity is therefore a design
team.

The new mailing list is [email-masked]  Comments are
welcome, as is membership on the list.

Thanks,

Steve

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Steve Crocker <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, Jan 19, 2020 at 12:16 PM
Subject: Adding DNS providers to the registration
To: DNSSEC Provisioning <[email-masked]>

I hereby propose that RDDS be extended to include the DNS provider(s).  I
believe that making DNS providers visible in the registration will make it
easier to automate both the upward movement of DS records to the registry
and coordination of cross-signing when there are multiple DNS providers.

DNS service is generally provided in one of three ways:

   - By the registrar.  This is probably the most common in terms of number
   of registrations, but not as common for larger registrants.
   - By the registrant as part of its internal operation.
   - By 3rd party DNS providers, e.g. Cloudflare, Dyn, et al.

Some registrants, particularly large registrants, will use multiple DNS
providers, so my proposal permits naming more than one DNS provider.

The intended functionality is for DNS providers to be able to push new DS
records upward whenever they roll the keys.  Accordingly, I'm expecting
that in addition to simply adding the name of the DNS provider to the
registration, the registrar will also have an access path for the DNS
provider to send it new DS records.  This leads to some design questions:

   1. How should DNS providers be designated?  The designation should be
   easy for the registrant to specify and not easily confused.

   2. The designation should serve as authorization for the DNS provider(s)
   to act on behalf of the registrant.

   3. In addition to updating the DS records, it  seems sensible to have
   the DNS provider specify the NS records as well.  What about glue records?

   4. Would DNS providers need to be qualified before being allowed to be
   included in the registration?  My quick thought is no because there are no
   barriers today in setting the NS records.

   5. Do we need a common naming scheme for DNS providers.  Perhaps
   something like _dns-provider.<domain name> would do the job.

It also seems to me that whenever a DNS provider is added to or removed
from a registration, both it and any other DNS providers receive
notification.  This should trigger the appropriate coordination.  To take
the easiest case, here's a sequence for the registration with a single 3rd
party DNS provider.

   1. Registrant registers the domain name with the registrar.
   2. Registrant contracts with the DNS provider for DNS service and
   populates the child zone.
   3. Registrant tells adds the name of the DNS provider to the
   registration.
   4. Registrar's process sends a notice to the DNS provider that it has
   been named as a DNS provider for the registrant's domain.
   5. DNS provider tells the registrar the list of nameservers, the DS
   record and any other details that may be needed.

Comments?  Suggestions?  Problems?

Thanks,

Steve