.nz signed zone published with obscured keys

DNSSEC

The Production Readiness testing of DNSSEC has been completed and we are ready to begin deployment. Lateral Security has provided us with the Key Generation Procedure auditing report, detecting only minor issues. Changes have been made to resolve these issues. The report will soon be published on our website.

Detailed below are the dates for deployment of DNSSEC for the .nz zone.

The most recent version of the DNSSEC Practice Statement for .nz, is Version 1.2. No further issues have been raised by the community.

If you have any questions, please contact Dave or Sebastian on support@nzrs.net.nz

The SRS CA certificate in the current RIK is due to expire on 30/09/2011. It has been extended by 2 years and is available in the new SRS RIK 5.15.
If you are using the current SRS CA certificate to validate the SRS SSL certificate, then you must upgrade to the new SRS CA certificate provided in the SRS RIK 5.15.
If you are using the RIK Clients to communicate with the SRS, then you must upgrade to the new RIK or replace the SRS CA certificate with the SRS CA certificate provided in the SRS RIK 5.15.

Version 1.2 of the DNSSEC Practice Statement is available at http://www.nzrs.net.nz/dns/dnssec/dps

The changes between Version 1.1 and Version 1.2 are posted at http://www.nzrs.net.nz/dns/dnssec/dps/history and also includes the
previous versions in PDF format.

The main changes in this new version are as follows:

1. Multi-Person mode for the Keystore activities 
Due to limitations in the HSM device that we are using, we have had to reduce the minimum number of Keystore Security officers required for key related activities from three to two.
The maximum number of Keystore Security officers has also been reduced from nine to five. So for the backup and restoration of key material we will require three people (two Keystore Security officers and one System Administrator). 

2. Site Controls
Posters to this list highlighted some issues regarding rack security and access controls. We agree that this area needs to be improved and we will review and make changes to this area over the next few months.

3. Trusted Roles and Trusted Individuals
We have reworked this section and clarified the roles of the Keystore Security Officers, System Administrators, Device Security Officers and Witness and specified the numbers required. We have also introduced a new role: Key Generation Administrator.

4. Background Checks
We have made it clear that the checks apply to anyone with a trusted role and NZRS would then decide on a case by case basis if the individual considered for a trusted role is suitable or not.

We hope that with this new version we have answered your concerns and questions that you have with our DPS document.

If anybody has any outstanding issues or concerns with the DPS please let us know as soon as possible as we are getting close to the stage where we are ready to begin our DNSSEC implementation.

If there are any issues, we suggest that the best way to address them would be to hold a meeting at NZRS to discuss them and to have the meeting sometime over the next two weeks. If anybody would like to meet with us and discuss the DPS, then please let us know by Wednesday 17th August.

During recent weeks, NZRS has achieved several milestones towards the
implementation of DNSSEC in the .nz zone:

DNSSEC High Level Architecture
We have published the "DNSSEC High Level Architecture" document which
describes the technical architecture to be used to sign .nz and the
second level zones.
This document is available on our website


DNSSEC Practice Statement
We have published the "DNSSEC Practice Statement" document, detailing
the practices and operational procedures to be used in the implementation
of DNSSEC for the .nz and second level zones under .nz.
This document is available on our website


SRS Accepts DS Records
Following the SRS release 5.11 on Monday 23 May, the SRS will start to
accept DS records for any domain name, but they will not be included
as zone data until the corresponding parent zone is signed.
A timetable for the signing of the .nz zones is planned for release
by August of this year.

For more details about the SRS changes, you can check the Release Notes.

Help contribute to the security and stability of the New Zealand Internet
.nz Registry Services (NZRS) - the operator of the .nz domain name space - is looking for a full-time Support Analyst to work in its central Wellington office.
The role of the Support Analyst is to support the Chief Technology Officer in the day-to-day support of all operational IT systems.
You will be responsible for testing and maintenance of NZRS’s Shared Registry System, technical and billing support for .nz registrars and maintenance of customer support resources. 
If you have database experience (preferably PostgreSQL), understand XML, XSL & HTML and are comfortable with interpreting numerical and statistical data then we would love to hear from you. An understanding of Linux and shell programming is also desirable. 
For more information please refer to the position description.

Apply by emailing your CV and a covering letter to recruitment@nzrs.net.nz

We would like to wish all our registrars and users of our services a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The NZRS office will be shut during the public holidays. For non-urgent queries or issues please send an email to support@nzrs.net.nz. For urgent issues outside of normal office hours, we can be contacted using our after-hours phone service (http://nzrs.net.nz/contact).

DNSSEC

We are actively working on the DNSSEC deployment for .nz. We have chosen a signing architecture based on OpenDNSSEC and the Sun Crypto Accelerator 6000 for the Hardware Security Module.  

Changes to the SRS system to support DS records have been completed. This functionality is currently turned off in the production SRS and it will be activated when the DNSSEC deployment begins. The SRS RPS test system is available for registrars that wish to test their interface with DS records. End to end testing of the signing architecture is scheduled to take place during January 2011.

If you have any questions, please contact Dave or Sebastian on support@nzrs.net.nz

EPP

We have deployed a functioning version of the SRS EPP interface to the SRS test and production systems. If there are any registrars that would like to use the EPP interface on the test or production systems then please contact Dave or Manu on support@nzrs.net.nz

RIK Redevelopment Project

This project is currently in progress. The aim of the project is to update the RIK, making it easier for registrars to install, upgrade and use. We hope to have a new RIK available for registrars by the end of February 2011. We would like to hear from any registrars that are currently using the RIK and in particular would like to know which libraries and modules you are using.

DNSSEC

We are actively working on the DNSSEC deployment for .nz. We have chosen a signing architecture based on OpenDNSSEC and the Sun Crypto Accelerator 6000 for the Hardware Security Module.

Currently we are making changes to the SRS system to support DS records and testing the signing architecture. We expect to have the .nz zone signed by the end of the year, the second level zones will follow in a reasonable timeframe. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate in contacting us at support@nzrs.net.nz

EPP

We have deployed a functioning version of the SRS EPP interface to test and production systems. If there are any registrars that would like to assist us with our testing or are interested in using the EPP interface in production then please contact Dave or Manu on support@nzrs.net.nz

RIK Redevelopment Project

Over the next few months we are planning to start work on a project to review and update the RIK (Registrar Information Kit). This project aims to update the RIK, making it easier for registrars to install, upgrade and use.

• Packaging – making the RIK easy to install and upgrade on the majority of *nix platforms
• SRSClient – allowing full coverage of SRS Registrar functionality, as well as making it easy to keep up to date with any new transactions
• SRS libraries – ensuring they are well documented and easily understandable by developers to use directly or as a reference implementation

DNSSEC 

We are actively working on the DNSSEC deployment for .nz. We have chosen a signing architecture based on OpenDNSSEC and the Sun Crypto Accelerator 6000 for the Hardware Security Module. Currently we are making changes to the SRS system to support DS records and testing the signing architecture. We expect to have the .nz zone signed by the end of the year, the second level zones will follow in a reasonable timeframe. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate in contacting us at support@nzrs.net.nz 

NZRS Website refresh 

On 8^th September 2010 the new NZRS website went online. The first step was a refresh of the website's look and feel. 

Now we are reviewing and updating it's content to make it easier to find and more relevant. Most of the content is still the same but we might have re-located some of it to other more fitting sections of the website. We are also adding more content and will continue to do so over time. 

Please note that most links to documents and downloads have changed. If you are looking for a specific download just use the search box on top of the page or contact us if you have trouble finding something. 

Registrar logins for the registrar section of the site have changed. Registrars can go to this link http://www.nzrs.net.nz/user/password and enter their email address to get their username and new password. If registrars are not sure what email address to use to get their password email us.

Also if you have any questions or comments please send them to support@nzrs.net.nz 

EPP 

We have deployed a functioning version of the SRS EPP interface to test and production systems. If there are any registrars that would like to assist us with our testing or are interested in using the EPP interface in production then please contact Dave or Manu on support@nzrs.net.nz 

GST increase to 15% from 1^st October 

Just a reminder that the GST is increasing to 15% from 1 October 2010. The new GST rate will apply to all charges invoiced on or after 1 October 2010, i.e. the new GST rate will apply to all billing transactions generated on or after 1 October 2010. If you have any questions relating to this please don't hesitate to contact us at support@nzrs.net.nz.  

SRS EPP Changes

The next release of the SRS (Sunday 11th July 2010 07:00 - 09:00) introduces some major new changes that are a pre-requisite for the EPP proxy interface that we have been working on for the last 12 months. The new changes include an 'EPP style' message polling capability for the SRS GetMessage transaction and also include new SRS Contact Object transactions for creating and updating contact objects and associating them with domains. These changes are available for registrar testing in the RPS test system.
A beta EPP interface is available for registrar testing. If any registrars would like to be involved in testing the EPP interface, please contact Dave or Manuela: support@nzrs.net.nz

IDN

SRS code changes were implemented in the February release and the "Go Live" date is scheduled for July.

DNSSEC

Over the last few months we have been working in the test environment on the technical elements of signing the .nz zone. Internal testing has been carried out using Open DNSSEC, which enables easier management of cryptographic key material and operations relating to DNSSEC. The timeline for this project is being put together and will be announced soon. If you would like any more details or would like to be involved in the DNSSEC project please contact our DNS specialist, Sebastian (sebastian@nzrs.net.nz)

Project Programme Update

As published last year we have moved to an annual Project Programme for systems and infrastructure development. This is a brief update on the current status of that programme:

If registrars require any further information please let us know.

The next meeting of the NZRS board will take place on 28 May 2010 at 11am in Wellington.  The agenda is given below

1. Directors Only Time
2. Directors & CE Only Time
3. Apologies
4. Declarations of Interest/Conflicts of Interest
5. Minutes
   • 5.1. Confirmation of minutes of meeting 16 April 2010 (includes updated action items)
   • 5.2. Matters arising (not covered elsewhere)
6. Matters for Decision
   • 6.1. Ratification of Board Decisions Made by Email
   • 6.2. 4th Quarter 2009-10 Report to the Shareholder
   • 6.3. Final Budgets 2010/11 to 2012/13
   • 6.4. Audit Representation Letter
   • 6.5. 2009/10 Annual Accounts (Grant Thornton to attend - 11.30am)
   • 6.6. Approve 2009-2010 Annual Report
7. Matters for Discussion
   • 7.1. Chief Executive Report
   • 7.2. Introducing a new Strategy Framework
   • 7.3. Project Expenditure Report
8. Monthly Reports
   • 8.1. Operational Report
   • 8.2. Financial Reports
9. Key Stakeholders
   • 9.1. INZ - update & Issues (INZ CEO Vikram Kumar in attendance @ 12.30pm)
   • 9.2 DNCL - update & issues (Debbie Monahan & Joy Liddicoat in attendance @ 12.45pm)
10. Board Matters
    • 10.1. Board Succession - Copy NZRS Non Executive Director Recruitment
    • 10.2. InternetNZ & NZRS AGM's - Thursday 29 July 2010
    • 10.3. Timetables
    • 10.4.Report back from the Audit and Risk Assessment Committee
    • 10.5.Confirmation of Security Procedures for Anti-virus Software
11. Other Business

As much of our board discussions are around confidential business issues we do not make the meetings open to the public, however we are always interested in any comments or issues that our customers wish to raise and may extend an invitation to our board meeting if appropriate.  If you would like to discuss any agenda items then please contact Jay Daley our Chief Executive at jay@nzrs.net.nz or 04 931 6977. 

SRS EPP Changes

A beta EPP interface will be available for registrar shortly. The interface will have a small subset of the EPP functionality. Regular incremental releases with additional functionality will be made to the test system through to June. If any registrars would like to be involved in testing the EPP interface, please contact Dave or Manuela: support@nzrs.net.nz

DNSSEC

Over the last few months we have been working in the test environment on the technical elements of signing the .nz zone. Internal testing has been carried out using Open DNSSEC, which enables easier management of cryptographic key material and operations relating to DNSSEC. The timeline for this project is being put together and will be announced soon. If you would like any more details or would like to be involved in the DNSSEC project please contact our DNS specialist, Sebastian (sebastian@nzrs.net.nz)

Project Programme Update

As published last year we have moved to an annual Project Programme for systems and infrastructure development. This is a brief update on the current status of that programme:

If registrars require any further information please let us know.

Registrar Implementation Kit

The SRSClient and SRS User Interface (SRS UI) applications that we distribute as part of the Registrar Implementation Kit (RIK) have had very few changes made to them since the SRS was launched. The SRSClient was originally developed as an example client interface for registrars to look at and use to assist in developing an interface to the SRS.
Our recent customer satisfaction survey showed that a large proportion of registrars are using the SRSClient and a number of registrars have said that they would like to see some improvements made to the SRSClient and SRS UI. The main theme of the comments were around improving the installation/upgrade process and improving the interfaces. We agree with these comments and have decided to start a project to address these issues.
We would like to hear registrar views, suggestions and comments about any updates and improvements they would like to see made to the SRSClient, SRS UI and anything else in the RIK.
Please send your comments and suggestions to Dave or Manuela at support@nzrs.net.nz

SRS EPP Changes

Over the last 12 months we have been working on implementing an EPP interface to the SRS. There has been a change to the original plan to have an EPP proxy for registrars to use to talk to the SRS. After getting feedback from registrars and looking at the solution in detail, it was determined that whilst this was a good solution for NZRS, it would be harder on registrars. 

So it has been decided to bring the EPP proxy into the SRS. In order to do this the SRS data model needs to be enhanced to provide EPP support and maintain backwards compatibility for those registrars that do not want to use EPP.  Also EPP style contact object management and message polling will be available though SRS transactions in addition to being available via EPP transactions using the EPP proxy. The EPP proxy will be standards compliant, with no .nz-specific extensions.
The EPP interface and the new SRS transactions are optional and registrars can continue to use their normal set of SRS transactions if they wish to do so. Registrars that want to use EPP can move to a native EPP solution, or access EPP style functionality using the SRS XML interface. 

It is planned that a beta EPP interface will be available on the test system by April 2010 with a subset of the EPP functionality and then regular incremental releases to the test system through to June with additional functionality. At this stage we are planning to have the interface implemented on the production system by July 2010. If registrars want to be involved earlier, then an Alpha release of the SRS protocol can be provided now. Please contact NZRS if you require any more information or would like to be involved in early testing of the EPP interface. 

NZRS are fully committed to maintaining the existing SRS XML interface and there are no plans to replace it.

Project Programme Update

As published last year NZRS have moved to an annual Project Programme for systems and infrastructure development. This is a brief update on the current status of that programme:

Task	Status	Comments
PGP Key Server	Completed
Postgres/Apache/OS Upgrade	Completed
Hardware Upgrade	Completed
DNS Monitoring/Reporting	Completed
DNS Test Cluster	Completed
Implementation of EPP	In Progress	See above
Implementation of IDN	In Progress	SRS code changes to be implemented in the February release and the "Go Live" date scheduled for July.
DDOS Mitigation	In Progress	Due to be completed Feb/Mar.
Intra-site Connection	In Progress	Due to be completed Feb/Mar.  This link should result in increased stability for inter cluster communications and allow for various management functions to take place over this link without impacting on the registrar SRS connection.
DNSSEC Implementation	In progress	Over the last few months NZRS and DNCL have been working on the DNSSEC implementation. NZRS have been working in the test environment on the technical elements of signing the .nz zone. Internal testing has been carried out using Open DNSSEC, which enables easier management of cryptographic key material and operations relating to DNSSEC. NZRS are now reviewing all the changes to the SRS that will be needed to be made to the NZRS system and will be working with DNCL on the policy changes that will need to be made and implemented. The timeline for this project is still being planned, however it is envisaged to occur in 2010.
Code review of the SRS	In progress	The SRS is several years old now and this project will look at where the existing code base can be improved/refined.
NTP Server	In Progress	There are not many NTP servers in NZ.  The DNS has had issues with existing NTP servers.  NZRS view certain elements of NZ internet infrastructure as being critical and will support these such as NTP and PGP.  The NTP roll out is planned for later this year, and potentially offering a public time service as well.
SRS Test Cluster	Not started
Hidden Primary (3rd)	Not started

If registrars require any further information please let us know.

Registrar Implementation Kit

The SRSClient and SRS User Interface (SRS UI) applications that we distribute as part of the Registrar Implementation Kit (RIK) have had very few changes made to them since the SRS was launched. The SRSClient was originally developed as an example client interface for registrars to look at and use to assist in developing an interface to the SRS.

Our recent customer satisfaction survey showed that a large proportion of registrars are using the SRSClient and a number of registrars have said that they would like to see some improvements made to the SRSClient and SRS UI. The main theme of the comments were around improving the installation/upgrade process and improving the interfaces. We agree with these comments and have decided to start a project to address these issues.   

We would like to hear registrar views, suggestions and comments about any updates and improvements they would like to see made to the SRSClient, SRS UI and anything else in the RIK.

Please send your comments and suggestions to Dave or Manuela at support@nzrs.net.nz

The next meeting of the NZRS board will take place on 12 February 2010 at 11am in Wellington.  The agenda is given below.

1. Directors Only Time
2. Directors & CE Only Time
3. Apologies
4. Declarations of Interest/Conflicts of Interest
5. Minutes
   • 5.1 Confirmation of minutes of meeting 27 November 2009
   • 5.2 Updated Action Items from 27 November 2009
   • 5.3 Matters arising (not covered elsewhere)
6. Matters for Decision
   • 6.1 Ratification of Board Decisions Made by Email
   • 6.2 Three Year Budgets
   • 6.3 Approve 3rd 2009-10 Interim Dividend to Shareholder
7. Matters for Discussion
   • 7.1 Chief Executive Report
   • 7.2 ENUM Presentation
   • 7.3 Progress Report on EPP
   • 7.4 Customer Satisfaction Report
8. Monthly Reports
   • 8.1 Operational Report
   • 8.2 Financial Reports
9. Key Stakeholders
   • 9.1 INZ – update & Issues (INZ CEO – Richard Currey / Vikram Kumar in attendance)
   • 9.2 DNCL – update & issues (Debbie Monahan & Joy Liddicoat in attendance)
10. Board Matters
    • 10.1 Board Performance Appraisal
    • 10.2 Board Succession (2010 AGM Director Retirements)
    • 10.3 Timetables
    • 10.4 Report back from the Audit and Risk Assessment Committee
    • 10.5 Confirmation of Security Procedures for Anti-virus Software
11. Other Business

As much of our board discussions are around confidential business issues we do not make the meetings open to the public, however we are always interested in any comments or issues that our customers wish to raise and may extend an invitation to our board meeting if appropriate.  If you would like to discuss any agenda items then please contact Jay Daley our Chief Executive at jay@nzrs.net.nz or 04 931 6977. 

Our new Chief Executive, Jay Daley, has now started in his role taking over from Nick Griffin, to whom we send our thanks for many years of good service. Jay was formerly the CTO of Nominet the .uk registry and has long experience of managing registry operations and infrastructure. If you wish to contact Jay directly then you can do so at jay @ nzrs.net.nz he would be pleased to hear from you.

New Zealand Registry Services (NZRS) is pleased to announce that the authoritative name server NS7.DNS.NET.NZ for the .nz Domain Name System (DNS) has been replaced.

The replacement is part of a wider project aimed at improving the .nz DNS infrastructure. There is no impact on the .nz DNS as a result of the change and the new IP address for NS7.DNS.NET.NZ is 202.46.188.130.

Over the last few weeks the NZRS, a subsidiary company of Internet New Zealand, has worked on the changes. The NS7 authoritative .nz name server was previously operated by Telecom.

Bringing the server under NZRS’ control will lead to greater reporting and monitoring of the .nz name servers. It will also enable the smoother addition of servers to other parts of the network, if required.

NZRS General Manager Nick Griffin thanks Telecom for its solid management of the .nz name server to-date.

“The new server uses a technology called Anycast, where multiple servers respond to the same IP address, resulting in faster query times. It adds additional robustness and offers better resistance to large-scale denial of service attacks,” he says.

The NZRS operates and manages the registry of .nz domain names and the operation of the Domain Name System (DNS) in the .nz domain name space.

New Zealand Registry Services (NZRS) is pleased to announce that the authoritative name server for the .nz Domain Name System (DNS) has been replaced.

The replacement is part of a wider project aimed at improving the .nz DNS infrastructure. There is no impact on the .nz DNS as a result of the change and the new IP address for NS4.DNS.NET.NZ is 202.46.189.130.

Over the last few weeks the NZRS, a subsidiary company of Internet New Zealand, has worked on the changes. The authoritative .nz name server was previously operated by TelstraClear.

Bringing the server under NZRS' control will lead to greater reporting and monitoring of the .nz name servers. It will also enable the smoother addition of servers to other parts of the network, if required.

NZRS General Manager Nick Griffin thanks TelstraClear for its solid management of the .nz name server to-date.

"The new server uses a technology called anycast, where multiple servers respond to the same IP address, resulting in faster query times. It adds additional robustness and offers better resistance to large-scale denial of service attacks," he says.

The NZRS operates and manages the registry of .nz domain names and the operation of the Domain Name System (DNS) in the .nz domain name space.

NZRS (.nz Registry Services) announces that a core component of the New Zealand Internet infrastructure is being geared up to accommodate huge potential increases in the number of networked devices connected to the Internet.

"Mobile phones are becoming common Internet devices and many other mobile and specialist devices from security systems to home automation will require connectivity in the future. It is preferable that each computer or device connected to the Internet has a unique addressing number," says NZRS general manager Nick Griffin.

The key to increasing capacity is the introduction of IPv6, the next generation Internet Protocol. IPv6 uses 128 bits for its computer addresses, a huge leap from the 32 bits used in the existing IPv4. This means 340 billion billion billion billion addresses can be covered by IPv6, compared to 4.3 billion for IPv4. Note the population of the world is approximately 6.6 billion.

NZRS is today pleased to announce that the .nz name servers are now operating with IPv6 connectivity in what can be regarded as the first phase of the .nz IPv6 rollout. The name servers are named ns8.dns.net.nz and ns9.dns.net.nz, and are located in Wellington and Albany respectively. Both are connected to the NZ IPv6 Internet Exchange and there is a .nz Whois server accessible at whois.ipv6.srs.net.nz.

NZRS thanks non-profit consortium Open Contributors Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (OCCAID) and US telco Sprint for providing IPv6 tunnels, and thanks Citylink for help in connecting to the NZ IPv6 Internet Exchange.

.nz Registry Services is responsible for operation of the register of domain names and the Domain Name System (DNS) in the .nz domain name space.

InternetNZ (The Internet Society of New Zealand) is reducing by 14% the wholesale domain name fee charged to authorised .nz registrars by .nz Registry Services (NZRS).

Colin Jackson, InternetNZ President, says "The InternetNZ Council is pleased to confirm that the wholesale domain name fee will reduce to $1.50 per domain name per month, down from $1.75 per domain name per month.” These figures are exclusive of GST.

The new wholesale fee will apply from 1 July 2007. “We trust that early notification of the lower fee will assist registrars in their planning," says Jackson.

The decision to reduce the fee is the outcome of a joint recommendation from the .nz Oversight Committee (NZOC) and NZRS to the InternetNZ Council.

Dr Frank March, Chair of the NZOC, says he hopes that the lower fee will encourage the continuation of a healthy growth rate in the registration of new domain names. However he cautions “There is no obligation on registrars to pass on any savings they make in a reduction of the wholesale fee.”

Dr March continues “The .nz market is a competitive environment and I hope that the range of authorised registrars will encourage some to reduce the retail price."

The reduction in the wholesale domain name fee is the second drop since NZRS took over running the .nz domain name register in October 2002.

NZRS Chair, Anne Urlwin, says “The result of the fee review is a successful outcome for everyone. We take our responsibilities in managing the .nz register seriously, and are pleased that we've achieved efficiencies in our systems that enable this decrease in the fee to registrars."

A Resource Manager component is being added to the SRS to protect the SRS and to share the SRS resources equally between registrars. Please refer to this PDF document for details and examples: SRS_Resource_Manager

NZRS is pleased to advise that it has added the support of IPv6 glue records to the Shared Registry System (SRS) and DNS. The adoption of IPv6 Glue will bring benefits to the registry in that it will allow for registrants who wish, to start investing in IPv6 technology.

Registrars are now able to provide IPv6 Glue records to the SRS, and this information will be included in the zone files output from the SRS. Note. AAAA (and not A6) records will be published in the zone files.

In order to allow for IPv6 Glue records, the SRS will accept an additional field (IP6Addr) in the definition of a nameserver. It is not a mandatory field. NOTE. If IP addresses are required, there MUST be an IPv4 address provided, not just an IPv6 address.

The full technical details supporting IPv6 Glue records are available here....(pdf)

The enablement of IPv6 is one of the strategic programs that NZRS is undertaking across the next 2 years.

InternetNZ (www.internetnz.net.nz) is maintaining the wholesale domain name fee charged to authorised .nz registrars by nz Registry Services (NZRS).

The President of InternetNZ, Keith Davidson states "The InternetNZ Council has confirmed that the wholesale Domain Name Fee will remain at $1.75 per domain name per month ".

Mr Davidson added "The review of the fee is undertaken annually by NZRS and the NZ Oversight Committee (NZOC), the recommendation from the joint review was that the Fee should remain at the same level as set last year and the InternetNZ Council have adopted that recommendation".

NZ Registry Services (NZRS) today announced that Catalyst IT Limited has been selected as the Preferred Supplier for the provision of the Outsourcing Services covering the Shared Registry System (SRS) and Domain Name Server systems and applications.

NZRS undertook a comprehensive and robust Request for Information and Request for Proposal process which focused on continuity of service, incremental improvement, and low risk while improving the management framework.

NZRS General Manager, Nick Griffin stated "we were impressed by the quality and the numbers of suppliers who responded to the RFI/RFP and were encouraged by the high standard and availability of Open Source services within New Zealand."

"We look forward to concluding an agreement with Catalyst in the near future" he said.

NZRS operates and manages the Shared Registry System and the Domain Name System for the .nz Top Level Domain. The company, established in 2002 to operate the new registry system, had temporarily outsourced system support. The Board took the decision last year to continue outsourcing but on a longer term contract basis and one that improved quality and service levels. The registry currently supports in excess of 160,000 .nz domain names and has experienced strong growth in its 21 months of operation.

 (pdf)

When the Shared Registry System (SRS) was developed in 2002, it was developed with the use of Open Source tools. Since going live in October 2002, NZRS has undertaken a continuous improvement programme of improvements to the SRS.

The SRS has proved itself to be a reliable and robust system which is currently supporting 42 registrars, 141,000 domain names and 12 2nd level domains.

We are pleased to announce that the SRS Open Source Code was released on 30 January 2004.

The SRS was released on Sourceforge. We have set up a project where you will beable to access the code.

The Project is called "Domain Name Registry System" (hence the "dnrs"), this is because SRS is already in use.

The link to access the project is http://sourceforge.net/projects/dnrs/