Root scaling report

The report is a must-read for everyone in the community, if only for the detailed description of what it involves to update the root zone file. It explains in detail the roles and tasks performed by IANA, DoC, Verisign and registries in processing changes.

The major finding of this report is scaling the root is not only a question of network bandwidth and CPU power, but also one of resources, mainly human. The added load on the process brought by introducing DNSSEC, IPv6 and new gTLDs will require all levels to proceed with care. This is why the report concludes that the most difficult part, signing the root, should be done first before new TLDs are added.

It also suggests that new TLDs should not be added in large batches, but one at a time. Metrics should be put in place to measure the impact of each change. These metrics should provide input to a early warning system (EWS) that that would "ring a bell" if resources hit a critical stage and would then freeze the process to allow the system to adapt. Once the indicators return to normal, ICANN could then proceed with adding new TLDs.

This is, of course, a technical viewpoint, which is not music to the ears of potential gTLD operators. We all know ICANN is also driven by politics. The board will need to balance the technical constraints with the willingness of new operators to start their TLD ASAP. On the other hand, I personally expect the evaluation process to be not as smooth a s ICANN staff wants us to believe. With all the provisions for challenges, reconsideration (and lawsuits ?) included in the guidebook, I think that the net effect will be that new TLDs will be added to the root over a long period of time, rather than many at once.

The most critical part is really the signing of the root. This has to be done in a professional, organized manner by all parties involved.