[registrars] Review of registration data collected and displa yed (WHOIS)

[Paul Stahura]

Some registrars also typically display information regarding the reseller
(if the name was purchased via a reseller channel)
who sold the name: reseller's name, cust support email address, and website
URL

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Tonkin [mailto:Bruce.Tonkin at melbourneit.com.au] 
Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2003 1:14 AM
To: registrars at dnso.org
Subject: [registrars] Review of registration data collected and displayed
(WHOIS)


Hello All,

Attached are 3 tables in Microsoft Word format.

(1) A table of data elements typically collected at the time of
registration from a registrant by a registrar.

I have included a reference to a clause in the registrar accreditation
agreement (RAA)
http://www.icann.org/registrars/ra-agreement-17may01.htm
where the element is compulsory. It is interesting to note that for the
Registered Name Holder (Registrant) only their name and postal address
is required - not email, fax, or phone. However for technical contact
and admin contact the full contact details are required.


(2) A table of data elements that are typically provided by a registrar
or registry using the port-43 WHOIS protocol. Again I have included
references to data elements that must be provided under the terms of the
Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA). Note that there are no
performance requirements for registrars, other than that the information
must be updated daily. It is possible for registrars to provide a
service that is rate limited (e.g to one query per minute, hour, or
day!). Some registry operators (e.g .biz) do commit in their contracts
with ICANN to a performance level (in the case of .biz to respond to a
WHOIS query within 1.5 seconds).


(3) A table of data elements that are typically provided by a registrar
or registry operator using a website. Note that there is no
standardisation for the provision of a website service, but a registrar
must provide BOTH a port-43 service AND a "interactice web page". Many
registrars simply provide a web page interface to their port-43 service,
but there is no requirement to do so. Note also as for (2) there is no
performance requirement for a registrar. 

The port-43 service has very limited controls available to limit access
to
WHOIS data (other than various rate limitations possible based on source
IP addresses). It may be appropriate to limit the information available
on this service to basic network information - eg a domain name and its
nameserver information. A web service in part (3) is amenable to more
sophisticated approaches to limit data mining whilst still ensuring that
the data elements can be read for legitimate purposes. A future CRISP
protocol may eventually replace the requirement to use port-43 to
provide access to data.

Regards,

Bruce Tonkin