🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1990Nov28.174510.27994@bellcore.bellcore.com> <pc@ctt.ctt.bellcore.com> writes:
>Is there a defined protocol in the DNS for locating information about
>(say) MegaWidget Corporation in the top level domain servers?

Not in the DNS.  There is a protocol/program called "nicname" or
"whois" that goes out and asks other computers (such as nic.ddn.com)
to search its database for information.  That usually gives you enough
information to start a mid level search.

			Hope this helps,
			Joe Herman

dzoey@terminus.umd.edu

-- 
"Everything is wonderful until you know something about it."

It would seem that you want to have alternate names for an object.
That is, you want the name of a company as shown in their brochures,
plus the name they registered under, plus the category they placed
themselves in (or were told to be in).  This can probably be done
with CNAME RRs, but the issue is really WHAT IS A NAME?  What if you
don't know the spelling correctly?  You heard it over the phone or
on a bus...will Soundex be useful for finding how they registered?

It still doesn't get at  the top level domain or at companies whose
"holding company" doesn't ring a bell (Beatrice), but their brand-
recognition division does (some company ?Nabisco? under Beatrice).
Now the problem is perhaps buried another layer deep (nabisco.beatrice.com),
further complicating the process.

I don't know an answer, but it's not clear we understand the question, yet.

	Walt

In article <1990Nov28.174510.27994@bellcore.bellcore.com> pc@ALEX.wif.ctt.bellcore.com (Peter Clitherow) writes:

> Is there a defined protocol in the DNS for locating information about
> (say) MegaWidget Corporation in the top level domain servers?

Sort of.  If you know the leading string under which their domain is
registered, you can use the whois service at nic.ddn.mil.  The trailing
dot is a wildcard; you can only match on prefixes.

% whois 'domain University of Wisconsin.'
University of Wisconsin - Centers (UWC-DOM)                            UWC.EDU
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay (UWGB-DOM)                        UWGB.EDU
University of Wisconsin - River Falls (UWRF-DOM)                      UWRF.EDU
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point (UWSP-DOM)                    UWSP.EDU
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (UWM-DOM)                           UWM.EDU
University of Wisconsin- System Administration (UWSA-DOM)             UWSA.EDU
University of Wisconsin-Extension (UWEX-DOM)                          UWEX.EDU
University of Wisconsin (UWEC-DOM)                                    UWEC.EDU
University of Wisconsin (UWLAX-DOM)                                  UWLAX.EDU
University of Wisconsin (UWOSH-DOM)                                  UWOSH.EDU
University of Wisconsin (UWPLATT-DOM)                              UWPLATT.EDU
University of Wisconsin (UWW-DOM)                                      UWW.EDU
University of Wisconsin (WISC-DOM)                                    WISC.EDU
University of Wisconsin (WISCNET-DOM)                              WISCNET.NET

To single out one record, look it up with "!xxx", where xxx is the
handle, shown in parenthesis following the name, which comes first.

--
John Kohl <jtkohl@ATHENA.MIT.EDU> or <jtkohl@MIT.EDU>
Digital Equipment Corporation/Project Athena
(The above opinions are MINE.  Don't put my words in somebody else's mouth!)