TheRoot Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC) advises the ICANN Community and Board on issues pertaining to the operation, administration, security, and integrity of the Internet's Root Server System.^[1]RSSAC was also tasked to review the number, location, and distribution of the root name server and its total system performance, robustness, and reliability .It was created under the Article VII Section 3 (b) of the ICANN Bylaws, which gave theICANN Board the mandate to appoint the initial Chairman of the Committee, after which the following chairman was to be elected by the members of the committee.Jun Murai was appointed as the first chairman of theRSSAC.^[2]

Responsibilities[edit |edit source]

RSSAC has the following responsibilities, per theICANN Bylaws:

1. Communicate on matters relating to the operation of the Root Servers and their multiple instances with the Internet technical community and the ICANN community. TheRSSAC shall gather and articulate requirements to offer to those engaged in technical revision of the protocols and best common practices related to the operation of DNS servers.
2. Communicate on matters relating to the administration of the Root Zone with those who have direct responsibility for that administration. These matters include the processes and procedures for the production of the Root Zone File.
3. Engage in ongoing threat assessment and risk analysis of the Root Server System and recommend any necessary audit activity to assess the current status of root servers and the root zone.
4. Respond to requests for information or opinions from the Board.
5. Report periodically to the Board on its activities.
6. Make policy recommendations to the ICANN community and Board.

RSSAC Policy Advice Development[edit |edit source]

TheRSSAC follows six basic steps to develop the advice it provides theICANN Board and community on the operation, administration, security, and integrity of the Internet’s Root Server System.^[3]

1. AnRSSAC orRSSAC Caucus member proposes a work item, which can include requests from the ICANN Board, and then submits a statement of work for theRSSAC to consider.
2. TheRSSAC reviews the statement of work, and if it is approved, a work party of eitherRSSAC orRSSAC Caucus members is formed.
3. The work party writes a draft document, which its leader circulates for review and comment amongRSSAC members and thenRSSAC Caucus members.
4. The work party submits the document to theRSSAC for a vote.
5. TheRSSAC shares the document with those it might affect and submits it forPublic Comment proceedings.
6. TheRSSAC publishes the approved document and tracks its effects.

Structure[edit |edit source]

Representatives[edit |edit source]

TheRSSAC consists of voting representatives from each of the 12 organizations responsible for operating the 13 root name servers and alternates to each of these. It also includes non-voting liaisons from a number of functions related to services pertaining to the root zone. TheRSSAC Caucus provides a pool of expertise, to which the representatives of the 13 root name servers can turn to form work parties and draft advice documents.

The current composition is available atRSSAC's official web page.

Voting Members

Liaisons toRSSAC[edit |edit source]

There are four liaisons to theRSSAC from other organizations within the Internet community:

Liaisons fromRSSAC to Other Organizations[edit |edit source]

RSSAC appoints liaisons to other groups and organizations to coordinate or communicate matters of common interest, as required by theRSSAC Operational Procedures

Other Appointments[edit |edit source]

Previous Leaders[edit |edit source]

RSSAC Projects[edit |edit source]

Since its inception, the committee continuously performs projects under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)^[4] betweenICANN, theNational Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), andNational Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to conduct a collaborative study to address the operational and technical requirements of the root name servers to be able to establish a more robust and secure management of the InternetDNS root server system.^[5]

TheRSSAC was also involved in the Y2K Project between 1999 to 2000. Its objective was to make sure that the operations of the root nameserver system are in compliance with the Y2K protocol by conducting administrative services and testing.^[6]

The committee is also conducting new technical developments onIPv6,DNSSEC,IDN, and their effects on the root nameserver system.

Organizational Reviews[edit |edit source]

Article 4.4 of the ICANN Bylaws mandates that organizational reviews should be conducted on a periodic basis to establish that a particularSO orAC is still needed and is operating as effectively as possible.^[7] Organizational reviews are conducted by an independent examiner retained by ICANN.^[8]

RSSAC has been reviewed twice, in2008 and2017.

References[edit |edit source]

ICANNWiki:Content Guide |Documentation |Development ||Categories:Articles needing attention |Candidates for deletion ||Projects:Internet & Digital Governance Library