ietf-mxcomp
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RE: suggested new RRtype experiment

2004-05-20 12:37:40

The plan you articulate simply isn't realistically feasible: mostly for
logistical reasons, the kind of patch and new API you're describing, in
the kind of volume and platform set we'd need (Win98, WinMe, W2K
workstation and server, WinXp, W2k3, in all their various service packs,
with all the testing, etc (a regression run on Windows is significantly
more than a calendar month)), isn't something that is going to happen. 

Even if abstractly one could do *some* general new RR type, in this
particular case, the marginal value of something that is just TXT with a
different name isn't anywhere near compelling enough to sway a
difference or to take resources from more pressing things.

This is really simple folks: for the next many years, on Windows, we are
stuck with the set of RR types that presently exist, period. Please
believe me when I say that. It is a reflection not any lack of
architectural desire to do so but is rather a pragmatic reflection of
the on the enormous cost of the effort relative to its benefits.

We're stuck with TXT records (or one of the other existing ones). Let's
can this moot discussion and start focusing on things that are
realistically achievable.

        Bob

From: william(at)elan.net [mailto:william(_at_)elan(_dot_)net]
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 1:16 PM
To: Bob Atkinson
Cc: Meng Weng Wong; Greg Connor; IETF MARID WG
Subject: RE: suggested new RRtype experiment


But then record being discussed is basicly same as TXT with its own RR
type, so I doubt it would take long to program dns client and server
to
use it just like TXT (I would imagine it can be done within days) and
Microsoft would release a patches then. The programs released for
windows
that want to use new record can just include the patch as part of
their
initial release and install it if it has not been done already.
Similarly those running dns server (and microsoft dns server is not
too
popular even for those using windows machines) that want to publish
the
record can install the patch as well. Now after this initial patch to
just
read new dns rr type, Microsoft might want to work on DLL/API to be
able
to parse this record type and understand it (assuming you go for
integration
of callerid with spf) but I would ask Microsoft to release this
separately
and dont wait until such dll is written and release updates for dns
asap.

On Thu, 20 May 2004, Bob Atkinson wrote:


It is not possible to do this on Windows. Publishing a new RR type,
or
even querying for one, requires a rev to the OS.

The short of the reason is that (for whatever reason; please don't
flame) Windows only exposes type-specific DNS APIs; there thus is no
way
to set or query for new types.

The same is true wrt the configuration of Windows DNS servers: the
parser for the file format (which is sometimes a file, sometimes
active
directory), as well as the GUI wizard-like tool that one uses to
edit
same, are each RR-type specific and have no provision for new RR
types.

    Bob