Internet DRAFT - draft-hardie-dnsop-shared-root-servers

draft-hardie-dnsop-shared-root-servers



IETF DNSOPS working group				      E.Hardie
Internet draft						  Equinix, Inc
Category: Work-in-progress                                   June 1999
                                                  
draft-hardie-dnsop-shared-root-servers-00.txt


      Distributing Root Name Servers via Shared Unicast Addresses

	  
        
Status of this memo

  This document is an Internet-Draft and is in full conformance with
  all provisions of Section 10 of RFC 2026.

  Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
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Copyright Notice

  Copyright (C) The Internet Society 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

  This memo describes a set of practices designed to enable the
  distribution of a root DNS server to multiple geographically and
  topologically distinct network locations. These practices presume
  that a single entity remains administratively and operationally
  responsible for each of the distributed servers.
  
  The primary motivation for the development of these practices is to
  increase the availability of root servers.  The current root servers
  already provide a highly distributed mesh, but the concentration of
  servers in U.S-based networks limits their availbility for users
  outside North America.  These practices should enable the
  distribution of root servers to areas not historically well-served
  by the current mesh without disrupting the operation of the DNS.
  
  Discussion of methods like those outlined below date back at least
  to the December 1996 meeting of the IEPG.  Recent discussions have
  taken place on the dnsop@cafax.se mailing list, and an internet
  draft "Root Name Servers Sharing Administratively Scoped Shared
  Unicast Addresses" was distributed there by Masataka Ohta.


1. Architecture

1.1 Server Requirements

  In addition to meeting the host requirements for root servers listed
  in [1], each of the hosts should be configured with two network
  interfaces.  One of the network interfaces should use the shared
  unicast address associated with the root name server.  The other
  interface, referred to as the AS-internal interface below, should
  use a distinct address specific to that host.  The host should
  respond to DNS queries only on the shared-unicast interface.  The
  host should use the AS-internal interface and address for all mesh
  coordination.
    
1.2 Zone file delivery

  In order to minimize the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks, zone
  files should be delivered to the AS-internal interface of the
  servers participating in the mesh.  Secure file transfer methods and
  strong authentication should be used for all transfers.  

1.3 Synchronization

  As noted below in section 3.2, lack of synchronization among servers
  could create problems for users of this service.  In order to
  minimize the risk, switch-overs from one data set to another data
  set should be coordinated.  The use of synchronized clocks on the
  participating hosts and set times for switch-overs provides a basic
  level of coordination.  The full coordination process would involve
  transferring new data, checking for full receipt of data on all
  participating hosts, setting switch-over times for all participating
  hosts, and instituting a failure process to ensure that hosts
  which did not succeed in switching over ceased to respond to
  incoming queries.

1.4 Server Placement

  Though the geographic diversity of server placement helps reduce the
  effects of service disruptions due to local problems, it is
  diversity of placement in the network topology which is the driving
  force behind these distribution practices.  Server placement should
  emphasize that diversity.  Ideally, servers should be placed
  topologically near the points at which the operator exchanges routes
  and traffic with other networks.  
  
1.5 Routing
 
  The organization administering the mesh of servers sharing a unicast
  address must have an autonomous system number and speak BGP to its
  peers.  To those peers, the organization announces a route to the
  network containing the shared-unicast address of the root name
  server.  The organization's border routers must then deliver the
  traffic destined for the root name server to the nearest
  instantiation.  To avoid internal routing difficulties, a static
  route to that network is recommended.  Routing to the AS-internal
  interfaces for the servers can use the normal routing methods for
  the administering organization, but care should be taken that
  traffic for the AS-internal interfaces does not leak onto the
  internal networks.

  Appendix A. contains an ASCII diagram of a simple implementation of
  this system.  In it, the odd numbered routers deliver traffic to the
  shared-unicast interface network and filter traffic from the
  AS-internal network; the even numbered routers deliver traffic to
  the AS-internal network and filter traffic from the shared-unicast
  network.  These are depicted as seperate routers for the ease this
  gives in explanation, but they could easily be seperate interfaces
  on the same router.  Similarly, a local NTP source is depicted for
  synchronization, but the level of synchronization needed would not
  require that source to be either local or a stratum one NTP server.
  
      
2. Administration

2.1 Points of Contact

   A single point of contact for reporting problems is crucial to the
   correct administration of this system.  If an external user of the
   system needs to report a problem related to the service, there must
   be no ambiguity about whom to contact.  If internal monitoring does
   not indicate a problem, the contact may, of course, need to work
   with the external user to identify which server generated the
   error.  


3. Security Considerations

   As a core piece of internet infrastructure, the root servers are a
   common target of attack.  The practices outlined here increase the
   risk of certain kinds of attack and reduce the risk of others.
   
3.1 Increased Risks

   As a first principal, it should be recognized that the architecture
   outlined in this document increases the number of physical servers
   acting as roots, which increases the possibility that a server
   mis-configuration will occur which allows for a security breach.  If
   the mechanism used to distribute zone files among the servers is not
   well secured, a man-in-the-middle attack could result in the injection
   of false information.  Digital signatures will alleviate this risk,
   but encrypted transport and tight access lists are a necessary adjunct
   to them.  

   A fundamental risk in the distribution of data using the methods
   outlined above is that the servers in the mesh will fall out of
   synch with one another.  The use of ntp to provide a synchronized
   time for switch-over elminates some aspects of this problem, but
   mechanisms to handle failure during the switchover are required.
   In particular, a server which cannot make the switchover must not
   roll-back to a previous version; it must cease to respond to
   queries so that other root servers are queried.


3.2 Decreased Risks

   The increase in number of physical servers reduces, however, the
   likelihood that a denial-of-service attack will take out a
   significant portion of the DNS infrastructure.  The increase in
   servers also reduces the effect of machine crashes, fiber cuts, and
   localized disasters by reducing the number of users dependent on on
   a specific machine.

 

4. Full copyright statement

  Copyright (C) The Internet Society 1999.  All Rights Reserved.

  This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to
  others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain
  it or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied,
  published and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction
  of any kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this
  paragraph are included on all such copies and derivative works.
  However, this document itself may not be modified in any way, such
  as by removing the copyright notice or references to the Internet
  Society or other Internet organizations, except as needed for the
  purpose of developing Internet standards in which case the
  procedures for copyrights defined in the Internet Standards process
  must be followed, or as required to translate it into languages
  other than English.

  The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not be
  revoked by the Internet Society or its successors or assigns.

  This document and the information contained herein is provided on
  an "AS IS" basis and THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET
  ENGINEERING TASK FORCE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
  IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF
  THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED
  WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

5. Acknowledgements

   Masataka Ohta, Bill Manning, Randy Bush, Chris Yarnell, Ray Plzak,
   Mark Andrews, Robert Elz, Geoff Houston, Bill Norton, and Akira
   Kato all provided input and commentary on this work.  


[6]. References

1 "Root Name Server Operational Requirements", Randy Bush.
ftp://ftp.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-bush-dnsop-root-opreq-00.txt


7. Editor's address

   Edward (Ted) Hardie					   
   Equinix, Inc.
   901 Marshall St.
   Redwood City, CA 94063
   hardie@equinix.com
   Tel: 1.650.817.2226
   Fax: 1.650.298.0420



Appendix A.



       __________________
Peer 1-|		|
Peer 2-|		|
Peer 3-|     Switch	|
Transit|		|  _________			   _________
etc    |		|--|Router1|---|----|--------------|Router2|---WAN-|
       |		|  ---------   |    |     	   ---------       |
       |		|              |    |                              |
       |                |              |    |                              |
       ------------------	     [NTP] [DNS]                           |
									   |
									   |
									   |
									   |
       __________________						   |
Peer 1-|		|						   |
Peer 2-|		|						   |
Peer 3-|     Switch	|						   |
Transit|		|  _________			   _________	   |
etc    |		|--|Router3|---|----|--------------|Router4|---WAN-|
       |		|  ---------   |    |      	   ---------       |
       |		|              |    |                              |
       |                |              |    |                              |
       ------------------	     [NTP] [DNS]                           |
									   |
									   |
									   |
									   |
       __________________						   |
Peer 1-|		|						   |
Peer 2-|		|               				   |
Peer 3-|     Switch	|						   |
Transit|		|  _________			   _________	   |
etc    |		|--|Router5|---|----|--------------|Router6|---WAN-|
       |		|  ---------   |    |      	   ---------       |
       |		|              |    |                              |
       |                |              |    |                              |
       ------------------	     [NTP] [DNS]                           |
									   |
									   |
									   |
									   |
       __________________						   |
Peer 1-|		|						   |
Peer 2-|		|               				   |
Peer 3-|     Switch	|						   |
Transit|		|  _________			   _________	   |
etc    |		|--|Router7|---|----|--------------|Router8|---WAN-|
       |		|  ---------   |    |      	   ---------       
       |		|              |    |                              
       |                |              |    |                              
       ------------------	     [NTP] [DNS]