> To the general public, the DNS is a critical Internet protocol. When it
> stops working people lose the ability to access internet services. Is it
> not the responsibility of ADNA to ensure the DNS within the domains under
> its umbrella is maintained in a reliable and functional state?

The DNA doesn't necessarily have to operate the authoritive
name servers as well.

For instance, Melbourne IT isn't authoritive for com.au:

com.au.			21h34m28s IN NS  mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU.
com.au.			21h34m28s IN NS  orb.ISI.EDU.
com.au.			21h34m28s IN NS  mx.nsi.NASA.GOV.
com.au.			21h34m28s IN NS  yalumba.connect.com.au.
com.au.			21h34m28s IN NS  munnari.OZ.AU.

Each 2LD should certainly have well connected authorities, but
the real "primary" need not be particularly important.

Not a good example, but I remember the APANA.ORG.AU domain
was actually housed on Leigh Hart's machine at home at one
point, behind a 2400bps link to the 'net.  This machine
was only ever access by one of the "real" authorities, which
seconded from it.  All the visible authorities were well
connected.

There is no need to a 2LD administrator to have a particularly
good net connection.  There is a need for the 2LD itsel to be
hosted on well provisioned machines.

There are three different processes here, and ultimately, I would
suspect that they will be operated by three different sorts of
organisations:

Authoritive name servers        probably hosted by very large
                                ISPs, backbone providers or
                                universities

Domain Name Admins              The people who say "ok, you can
                                have that domain".

2LD "NIC"                       A Central machine where the
                                applications are submitted.  The
                                submitter will select a DNA that
                                they wish to pay, and it will be
                                emailed to that DNA.  The DNA will
                                approve or reject the applicant, and
                                if approved, it will be merged into
                                the database at this 2LD NIC.

This is exactly what the situation is right now with COM.AU.  The
name servers are provided by a number of large well connected
networks.  The DNA is Melbourne IT.  AUNIC is the 2LD NIC.
I like this model.  It works well, avoids race conditions at the
database end of things, and means you really don't give a toss
about the link speed of the DNA.

By the way, I'd suspect the 2LD NIC will be a tendered position,
and probably charge the DNA's.  I'd suspect the Authoritive name
servers would do their part for free and would line up to do it.

MM