Date: Tue June 10 2008
     To: Report to Complience Committee and the TLD WG
         Top Level Domain Association
   From: Joe Baptista
         Public Root Representative
Subject: UnifiedRoot resolution failure


A problem has existed for some time at the UnifiedRoot which will
jeopardize the ability of TLDs within that root system from
resolving.

If we visit their manual update page at,

http://www.unifiedroot.com/en/unifyme/unifyme_manually

we find a list of the UnifiedRoot recursive domain name servers.

Location    Name            Address
Europe        ns1.unifiedroot.net    83.138.178.218
America        ns2.unifiedroot.net    72.3.208.251
Asia Pacific    ns3.unifiedroot.net    203.142.18.42

The first problem we encounter is that the unifiedroot.net domain
does not resolve.  According to the DNS the unifiedroot.net has as
its primary and secondary NS the servers ns1.unifiedroot.com and
ns2.unifiedroot.com.

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> unifiedroot.net. ANY
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 38978
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 2, AUTHORITY: 2, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;unifiedroot.net.               IN      ANY

;; ANSWER SECTION:
unifiedroot.net.        172800  IN      NS      ns2.unifiedroot.com.
unifiedroot.net.        172800  IN      NS      ns1.unifiedroot.com.

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
unifiedroot.net.        172800  IN      NS      ns1.unifiedroot.com.
unifiedroot.net.        172800  IN      NS      ns2.unifiedroot.com.

;; Query time: 621 msec
;; SERVER: 127.0.0.1#53(127.0.0.1)
;; WHEN: Tue Jun 10 14:07:18 2008
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 112

However when either server is questioned for data concerning
unifiedroot.net they refuse to answer.

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @ns1.unifiedroot.com. unifiedroot.net. ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: REFUSED, id: 51569
;; flags: qr rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; WARNING: recursion requested but not available

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;unifiedroot.net.               IN      ANY

;; Query time: 112 msec
;; SERVER: 89.207.31.4#53(89.207.31.4)
;; WHEN: Tue Jun 10 14:10:25 2008
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 33

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @ns2.unifiedroot.com. unifiedroot.net. ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: REFUSED, id: 32100
;; flags: qr rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; WARNING: recursion requested but not available

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;unifiedroot.net.               IN      ANY

;; Query time: 116 msec
;; SERVER: 89.207.31.7#53(89.207.31.7)
;; WHEN: Tue Jun 10 14:10:36 2008
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 33

Also if we try to reach these servers via their listed IPv4 addresses,
being 83.138.178.218, 72.3.208.251 and 203.142.18.42, we find non of
these servers are operational.

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @83.138.178.218 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @72.3.208.251 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @203.142.18.42 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

Another problem is the unifiedroot root servers.  They are all in the
domain unifiedroot.net.  So of course since the domain does not resolve
it is impossible to find the root servers for the name servers labeled
a.unifiedroot.net through m.unifiedroot.net.

I was however able to get the IPv4 addresses for these root servers from
the IASON tests run by Peter Dambier.  The servers names including their
IPv4 addresses are:

a.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       207.97.237.208
b.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       213.221.109.249
c.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       81.177.20.66
d.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       202.157.179.26
e.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       196.31.65.163
f.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       209.172.39.130
g.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       212.43.240.19
h.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       202.157.188.46
i.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       202.157.181.80
j.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       207.228.237.58
k.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       202.157.191.72
l.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       203.142.12.54
m.unifiedroot.net.      86400   IN      A       80.67.98.99

I test each IP address for root activity and found that non of the
listed servers responded except for one, being k.unifiedroot.net at
IPv4 address 202.157.191.72.  k.unifiedroot.net did respond with an
SOA dated December 30 2007.

The tests of each root follow:

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @207.97.237.208 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @213.221.109.249 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @81.177.20.66 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @202.157.179.26 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @196.31.65.163 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @209.172.39.130 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @212.43.240.19 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @202.157.188.46 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @202.157.181.80 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @207.228.237.58 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @202.157.191.72 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 34514
;; flags: qr aa rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 14, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 13
;; WARNING: recursion requested but not available

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;.                IN    ANY

;; ANSWER SECTION:
.            86400    IN    SOA    a.unifiedroot.net. hostmaster.unifiedroot.com. 2007123011 1800 900 604800 86400
.            86400    IN    NS    a.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    b.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    c.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    d.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    e.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    f.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    g.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    h.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    i.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    j.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    k.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    l.unifiedroot.net.
.            86400    IN    NS    m.unifiedroot.net.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
a.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    207.97.237.208
b.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    213.221.109.249
c.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    81.177.20.66
d.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    202.157.179.26
e.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    196.31.65.163
f.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    209.172.39.130
g.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    212.43.240.19
h.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    202.157.188.46
i.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    202.157.181.80
j.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    207.228.237.58
k.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    202.157.191.72
l.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    203.142.12.54
m.unifiedroot.net.    86400    IN    A    80.67.98.99

;; Query time: 285 msec
;; SERVER: 202.157.191.72#53(202.157.191.72)
;; WHEN: Tue Jun 10 14:26:04 2008
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 496


; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @203.142.12.54 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

; <<>> DiG 9.4.1-P1 <<>> @80.67.98.99 . ANY
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached