<html>
<body>
This comment is submitted purely in my personal capacity.<br><br>
Alan Greenberg<br><br>
==========================<br><br>
I was somewhat taken aback at the multiple references to the confusion
between the RZERC and several other bodies.<br><br>
I was the leader of the sub-group in the ICANN IANA Stewardship
Transition Working Group that was responsible to addressing how to
replace the NTIA role overseeing IANA. As such, I essentially was the
architect of the RZERC, although I have no claim to having given it its
name.<br><br>
The US Department of Commerce, through the NTIA, was involved in any and
all changes to how IANA functions, what tools it used and what procedures
it followed. The sub-group recommended that for a wide range of low-level
issues, no such oversight was required, other than normal management
functions within IANA.<br><br>
However, for substantial changes (examples were the implementation of
DNSSEC, radical changes in workflow and major new software tools), there
should still be some oversight, and that should be carried out by a group
of knowledgeable individuals representing the full range of groups that
interact with IANA or should have input into such changes (SSAC, RSSAC,
ASO, IETF, GTLD and cc Registries and the Root Zone Maintainer), with
that group advising the ICANN Board who would grant the formal approval
previously granted by the NTIA. <br><br>
The name chosen for the group, the Root Zone Evolution Review Committee
unfortunately implies that it has a responsibility covering the overall
root zone operation and not just the IANA-related aspects - up to and
including the publication of the zone file – something that was never
even contemplated.<br><br>
However, the Charter
(<a href="https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/revised-rzerc-charter-08aug16-en.pdf">
https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/revised-rzerc-charter-08aug16-en.pdf</a>
) does make its scope clear:<br><br>
<br>
"The Committee is expected to review proposed architectural changes
to the<br>
content of the DNS root zone, the systems including both hardware
and<br>
software components used in executing changes to the DNS root zone,
and<br>
the mechanisms used for distribution of the DNS root zone. The
Committee<br>
shall, as determined necessary by its membership, make
recommendations<br>
related to those changes for consideration by the ICANN
Board."<br><br>
<br>
In my mind, this group might also be a valuable one to involve if indeed
major changes were planned to the Root Zone itself, but that was not the
reason it was created nor does it have formal oversight responsibilities
past the content, creation and publication of the zone file. <br>
</body>
</html>