DNS root server i.root-servers.net

Netnod and Autonomica are proud to operate one of 13 DNS root servers as a public service to the Internet.

Operational principles

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the distributed hierarchical database on which most Internet services and applications rely and depend. The root of this hierarchy is anchored on 13 domain name servers scattered across the globe.

i.root-servers.net is operated by Autonomica AB. The i-root service was initially provided by NORDUnet A/S as of July 1991 under the name nic.nordu.net. nic.nordu.net was re-named to i.root-servers.net in 1995 in cooperation with all root server operators. Autonomica took over the operations of i.root-servers.net in 2000. Funded by our owners and customers, we provide this service for the benefit of the Internet as a whole.

Autonomica AB, based in Stockholm, Sweden, is a subsidiary of Netnod, the operator of the swedish Internet Exchange infrastructure. Autonomica specialises in operations of Internet infrastructure services, DNS in particular. Netnod and Autonomica are non-profit organisations, operating in close cooperation with the Internet community.

Autonomica, as operator of i.root-servers.net, acknowledges the following fellow organisations as current root server operators and is committed to coordinating operational service with them:

- Verisign, Inc.
- University of Southern California, Information Sciences Institute
- Cogent Communications, Inc.
- University of Maryland
- NASA Ames Research Center
- Internet Systems Consortium, Inc.
- US Department of Defense, Network Information Center
- US Army Research Laboratory
- RIPE NCC
- ICANN
- WIDE Project


For any operational issues regarding i.root-servers.net, please contact: noc@netnod.se

Overview and background

i.root-servers.net was the first DNS root server to be established outside the USA. (Today there are also DNS root servers operating from Amsterdam and Tokyo.) It has changed configurations a number of times during the years from its humble beginnings as a Sun 3/60 with 4MB RAM.

To further improve robustness and availability of this service, Netnod and Autonomica are continuously deploying instances of i.root-servers.net in locations all over the world. Therefore "I" is since long now, not only available from the site in Stockholm, Sweden, but also from several sites around the world, including:

EMEA
- Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Ankara, Turkey
- Brussels, Belgium
- Bucharest, Romania
- Doha, Qatar
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Helsinki, Finland
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- London, United Kingdom
- Milan, Italy
- Oslo, Norway
- Paris, France
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Vienna, Austria


Asia Pacific
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Beijing, China
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- HongKong, China
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Manila, Philippines
- Mumbai, India
- Perth, Australia
- Singapore, Singapore
- Taipei, Taiwan
- Tokyo, Japan
- Wellington, New Zealand


North America
- Chicago, IL, USA
- Miami, FL, USA
- Palo Alto, CA,
- USA Washington, DC, USA


Today, Netnod and Autonomica manages a robust constellation of servers around the globe, and is committed to further expand the i.root-servers-net server footprint in coming years. While we maintain complete administrative control over each site, we are happy to accept offers of hosting a site in a new location.

Today, Netnod and Autonomica manages a robust constellation of servers around the globe, and is committed to further expand the i.root-servers.net server footprint in coming years. While we maintain complete administrative control over each site, we are happy to accept offers of hosting a site in a new location.

The query load for the root nameservice varies over time and also differs between sites, but on a typical day i.root-servers.net will respond to several hundred million DNS queries from all over the Internet.

For more information on the DNS root system, see:
BCP 40 (RFC2870) - Operational guidelines for Root Name Servers.

If you are interested in supporting the deployment of a new i.root-servers.net instance, please contact us at: info@netnod.se

Reviewed 2009-11-06