Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!leiner@RIACS.ARPA From: leiner@RIACS.ARPA (Barry Leiner) Newsgroups: net.mail.headers Subject: Re: Mail Domain Names: Host table vs. Nameservers Message-ID: <2610@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Wed, 30-Oct-85 12:03:19 EST Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.2610 Posted: Wed Oct 30 12:03:19 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 1-Nov-85 02:32:31 EST Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA Lines: 33 Bill, You have it basically correct. However, let me once again (see my note of a few weeks ago) try to explain what is supposed to be happening. 1. ALL hosts on the internet have to be able to deal with domain style names if they want to be able to talk with anyone else. Therefore, there should not be a part of the internet that uses a host table and not full domain names. 2. Hosts that rely on using the host table may not have the capability of communications with all hosts (particularly some of those that rely on host tables rather than domain servers). This is mainly due to limitations of the host table paradigm and is the main reason for going to domain servers in the first place. 3. The NIC is doing what they can to mitigate the effects of (2). However, they clearly are not going to be successful in achieving full capability between all hosts using domain servers and all hosts using host tables. Therefore, once the "research" community has proven the concept of domain servers, I would anticipate many if not most of the remaining sites will switch to using domain servers. 4. In the meantime, users that are on hosts that rely on host tables and that want to communicate with sites that are not in the host tables really have no option other than to push their system developer/maintainer to put in place domain nameserver capability. Hope this helps. Barry ----------