> In actual fact not every name server is performing
> this mirroring task. Specifically the following subdomains
> do not respond with toronto.edu type requests:
> 
> 	botany
> 	sid
> 	rw
> 	esc
> 	pgb
> 	geology
> 	itdc
> 	law
> 	mgmt
> 	oise
> 	osm
> 	phm
> 	playfair

A rather short list, considering the number of zones at UofT.
Are there any subdomains that do not respond with utoronto.ca requests?

> I would like to propose the following two policies w.r.t supporting
> dual dns domains:
> 
> 1. Every name server must support the utoronto.ca parent domain
>    for all its forward zones.
> 
> 2. Any name server may optionally support the toronto.edu 
>    parent domain for any of its forward zones.
> 
> As a corollary to these policies, no departmental name server should
> need to worry about the existence of 'toronto.edu' as far as DNS is
> concerned.

These sound reasonable, because they allows a 'computer-naive' department
to only exist under 1 domain (which is better for PC software), and that
domain should be universally understood within UofT.

> From a technical perspective, name servers which drop the toronto.edu
> support will lessen unnecessary DNS traffic on the campus backbone.

Is this due to a decrease in the zone transfers to the primaries and
secondaries, or due to some other factor?

What percentage of the backbone traffic is due to DNS?
What percentage of the backbone traffic is due to DNS zone transfers?
If DNS is not the major traffic source on the backbone, what is,
and what can/should be done to decrease it?

> Any DNS problems that may occur as a result of a toronto.edu
> zone no longer being served can easily be fixed by adding
> an additional 'utoronto.ca' name to the resolver.conf search line
> on the client machine.

I have a system here where that is not the case. There are bound to be others.
Who will be helping the people who may be adversly affected by
the proposed changes?

> I invite your comments on the policies. If they seem reasonable
> and acceptable I would like a list of sub domains that wish to
> remain "dual citizens".  That is if you would like to continue
> to have NS references to your domain in both the utoronto.ca
> and toronto.edu parent domains please send me email.

The main problem with this policy is that if someone does nothing,
their .toronto.edu membership will disappear, their mail may break,
they may not be on this list, and will not know why things are
not working any more. Death from above.

A more conservative approach would cause fewer problems.

I suggest a better alternative would be to ask people to send you mail
if they want to leave .toronto.edu. That way, you won't be affecting
people without their knowledge. People who know how to deal with the
change can make the appropriate preparations ahead of time.

	Steve