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'''Root Zone''' refers to the highest level of the [[DNS|Domain Name System]] (DNS) structure. It contains  the names and the numeric IP addresses for all the top level domain names such as the [[gTLD]]s ([[.com]], [[.net]], [[.org]], [[.jobs]]), and all the country code top level domains ([[ccTLD]]s), for example ([[.us]], [[.uk]] [[.ph]]), including the entire list of all the root servers.<ref>[http://www.isoc.org/briefings/019/ www.isoc.org]</ref>

The DNS root zone contains only 280 delegations of generic, country code and internationalized [[TLD|top level domain names]] (TLD)s and its size is more or less 80,000 bytes. It also changes slowly and absorbs only one minor change per TLD every year.<ref>

 

The DNS root zone contains only 280 delegations of generic, country code and internationalized top level domain names ([[TLD]])s and its size is more or less 80,000 bytes. It also changes slowly and absorbs only one minor change per TLD every year.<ref>

[http://www.icann.org/en/committees/dns-root/root-scaling-study-report-31aug09-en.pdf Scaling the Root]</ref>

[http://www.icann.org/en/committees/dns-root/root-scaling-study-report-31aug09-en.pdf Scaling the Root]</ref>

==Root Zone Management Process==

==Root Zone Management Process==

The National Telecommunications Information Administration ([[NTIA]]), [[ICANN]], [[Verisign]] and the [[Root Server Operators]] play significant functions in the management process of root zone.  

The [[NTIA|National Telecommunications Information Administration]] (NTIA), [[ICANN]], [[Verisign]] and the [[Root Server Operators]] play significant roles in the management and process of the root zone.  

NTIA an agency under the United States Department of Commerce represents the Federal government in a contract entered with ICANN and Verisign which grants the organizations separate functions in managing the performance of the root zone. NTIA is responsible in reviewing and approving whatever changes that needs to be implemented within the root zone.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/committees/dns-root/root-scaling-study-report-31aug09-en.pdf www.icann.org]</ref>

NTIA is an agency under the United States [[DOC|Department of Commerce]], which represents the federal government in a contract entered in with ICANN and Verisign, which grants the organizations separate functions in managing the performance of the root zone. NTIA is responsible in reviewing and approving whatever changes that need to be implemented within the root zone.<ref>[http://www.icann.org/en/committees/dns-root/root-scaling-study-report-31aug09-en.pdf www.icann.org]</ref>

ICANN is the operator of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority [[IANA]] which is responsible in the day to day management of DNS root zone. IANA assigns the operators of the top level domain and ensures the maintenance and the administrative details of the TLDs.<ref>[http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1591 RFC 1591]</ref> <ref> [http://www.iana.org/domains/root/ Root Zone Management]</ref> It is also responsible in the coordination of the Internet Protocol (IP) and Autonomous System (AS) numbers to the Regional Internet Registries (RIR).

ICANN is the operator of the [[IANA|Internet Assigned Numbers Authority]] (IANA), which is responsible for the day-to-day management of the DNS root zone. IANA assigns the operators of the top level domain and ensures the maintenance and the administrative details of the TLDs.<ref>[http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1591 RFC 1591]</ref><ref> [http://www.iana.org/domains/root/ Root Zone Management]</ref> It is also responsible for the coordination of the [[IP|Internet Protocol]] (IP) and [[AS|Autonomous System]] (AS) numbers to the [[RIR|Regional Internet Registries]] (RIR).

Verisign, and formerly [[Network Solutions]], serves as root zone administrator under a cooperative agreement entered with the United States government since 1998.

Verisign, and formerly [[Network Solutions]], serves as the root zone administrator under a cooperative agreement entered with the United States government; this has been in effect since 1998.

The [[Root Server Operators]]' primary role is to make sure that the operations of root zone is always accurate, available, reliable and secure.There are thirteen Root Server Operator in the data base of the root zone which include:<ref>[http://www.isoc.org/briefings/019/ Root Server Operators]</ref>

The [[Root Server Operators]]' primary role is to make sure that the operations of the root zone is always accurate, available, reliable and secure. There are thirteen Root Server Operators in the database of the root zone, which include:<ref>[http://www.isoc.org/briefings/019/ Root Server Operators]</ref>

* A - [[VeriSign]] Global Registry Services

* A - [[VeriSign]] Global Registry Services

* B - Information Sciences Institute

* B - [[Information Sciences Institute]]

* C - [[Cogent Communications]]

* C - [[Cogent Communications]]

* D - University of Maryland

* D - [[University of Maryland]]

* E - NASA Ames Research Center

* E - [[NASA Ames Research Center]]

* F - [[Internet Systems Consortium, Inc.]]

* F - [[ISC|Internet Systems Consortium, Inc.]]

* G - U.S. DOD Network Information Center

* G - [[U.S. DOD Network Information Center]]

* H - U.S. Army Research Lab

* H -[[ U.S. Army Research Lab]]

* I - Autonomica/NORDUnet

* I - [[Autonomica]]/[[NORDUnet]]

* K - [[RIPE NCC]]

* K - [[RIPE NCC]]

* L - [[ICANN]]

* L - [[ICANN]]

==References==

==References==

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