SSAC Advisory on the Use of Static TLD / Suffix Lists (R-5)

Date IssuedDocumentReference IDCurrent Phase

  

SSAC Advisory on the Use of Static TLD / Suffix Lists (R-5)SAC070

CLOSED



  1. Phase 1 Receive
  2. Phase 2 Understand
  3. Phase 3 Evaluate
  4. Phase 4 Implement
  5. Phase 5 Close
  6. Closed



Description:

IANA should host a PSL containing information about the domains within the registries with which IANA has direct communication. Such a PSL would be authoritative for those domains. Such a list should include, at a minimum, all TLDs in the IANA root zone.


STATUS UPDATES

DatePhaseTypeStatus Updates

 

ClosedPhase ChangeThis Advice Item is now Closed.

 

Phase 5Board UpdateResolved (2021.05.12.10), the Board finds that the actions called for by the recommendations from SAC070 advising action for ICANN org, specifically Recommendations 3, 4a, 5, and 6, have been completed by ICANN org. See full resolution at https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/resolutions-2021-05-12-en#1.g.

 

Phase 5Phase UpdateMatt Larson sent a letter to Rod Rasmussen advising that SAC070 is complete (https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/larson-to-rasmussen-13jan21-en.pdf). SAC070 Recommendation 45 Notes: Recommendation 5 called for the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to host a PSL containing information about the domains within the registries with which IANA has direct communication. As of 1 December 2019, IANA staff began hosting an authoritative PSL for all TLDs in the root zone. On 12 February 2020, SSAC agreed that recommendation 5 was ready to close.

 

Phase 5Phase ChangeNow in Phase 5: Close

 

Phase 4AP FeedbackThe SSAC agrees SAC070 Recommendation 5 is ready to move to Phase 5 | Close Request.

 

Phase 4Phase UpdateOCTO believes this item can be closed. IANA maintains a list of TLDs at https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt, which functions as a PSL for all TLDs. This list is updated as part of standard IANA processes for adding and removing TLDs. IANA has also written a script to easily detect TLDs in this list that might be missing from the Mozailla PSL, which is available at https://gist.github.com/kjd/3b1141451c77e50e0ab1120caac40072.

 

Phase 4Phase UpdateAs stated in recommendation 5 of SAC070, IANA staff is now hosting an authoritative PSL for all TLDs in the root zone.

 

Phase 4Phase UpdateICANN org signed a contract with someone from the Mozilla Foundation to prepare the materials advised by the SSAC in SAC070. Estimated time to completion is the end of November 2019.

 

Phase 4Phase UpdateICANN org signed a contract with someone from the Mozilla Foundation to prepare the materials advised by the SSAC in SAC070. Estimated time to completion is the end of August 2019.

 

Phase 4Phase ChangeNow in Phase 4: Implement

 

Phase 3Phase UpdateThe ICANN organization understands recommendation 5 of SAC070 as directing IANA staff to host an authoritative PSL containing information about the domains within the registries with which IANA has direct communication. This list should at least include all TLDs in the root zone. On 24 June 2017, the ICANN Board accepted this advice and directed the ICANN organization to implement per the ICANN organization's recommendation (https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/resolutions-2017-06-24-en#2.b).

 

Phase 3Board UpdateResolved (2017.06.24.19), the Board adopts the SSAC recommendations outlined in the document titled "Implementation Recommendations for SSAC Advice Documents SAC062, SAC063, SAC064, SAC065, SAC070, and SAC073 (08 June 2017) [PDF, 433 KB]", and directs the CEO to implement the advice as described in the document. SAC070 Recommendation 5 proposed solution: Community consultation should observe that the Mozilla PSL is already the most widely used PSL and it’s not clear that there is benefit in creating a separate PSL maintained by ICANN focused on TLDs. However, ICANN could still potentially assist in maintaining the Mozilla PSL, since it is fundamentally a registry, which is an area of expertise for ICANN. ICANN will ask the web browser development community if ICANN should assist Mozilla with or assume responsibility for maintaining the Mozilla PSL. ICANN should abide by the consensus of this community if no assistance is desired. See full resolution at https://www.icann.org/resources/board-material/resolutions-2017-06-24-en#2.b

 

Phase 3Phase ChangeNow in Phase 3: Evaluate & Consider

 

Phase 3Phase UpdateICANN received SSAC's approval of understanding and is in the process of evaluating the advice. ICANN staff understands recommendation 5 of SAC070 as directing IANA staff to host an authoritative PSL containing information about the domains within the registries with which IANA has direct communication. This list should at least include all TLDs in the root zone.

 

Phase 2AP FeedbackSSAC confirmed the understanding.

 

Phase 2Board UnderstandingUPDATED UNDERSTANDING 28 APRIL 2016: "ICANN staff understands recommendation 5 of SAC070 as directing IANA staff to host an authoritative PSL containing information about the domains within the registries with which IANA has direct communication. This list should at least include all TLDs in the root zone."

 

Phase 2AP FeedbackThe SSAC disagrees with ICANN’s understanding on 4a, 5 and 6. We offer the following explanation: Recommendation 5: (1) The IANA can decide to start a registry without needing authorization or a request from the IETF – go figure it out. (2) We don’t recommend a transfer of responsibility from Mozilla to IANA, we recommend the creation of an authoritative PSL that Mozilla or others could incorporate (3) A new role for IANA is fine.

 

Phase 2Board UnderstandingThis recommendation appears to suggest an action for IANA that is usually the result of direction from the IETF, that is, something like a protocol registry established for a specific purpose. This also seems to recommend the transfer of responsibility of the Mozilla-run PSL to IANA, which seems like an action that is best requested through Mozilla as the current responsible party. If Mozilla wanted to transition the PSL maintenance, operating such a registry would represent a new role for IANA.

 

Phase 1Phase UpdateSSAC published SAC070: SSAC Advisory on the Use of Static TLD / Suffix Lists: https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/sac-070-en.pdf.