Re: [DNSOP] [Ext] Starting a -bis document for RFC 8109: Initializing a DNS Resolver with Priming Queries

[Paul Hoffman <[e-mail]>]

On Aug 6, 2020, at 4:08 AM, Andrew McConachie <[e-mail]> wrote:
> 
> What does it mean for a resolver to be primed, or for a resolver to not be primed? For example, is a resolver considered primed only if it has all root server names and IP addresses? 50%? At least 1?

Excellent questions, two that the WG can certainly consider. Note that it *is* two questions, the root server names and the associated addresses.

From the text you quote:

>   Priming is the act of finding the list of root servers from a
>   configuration that lists some or all of the purported IP addresses of
>   some or all of those root servers.  A recursive resolver starts with
>   no information about the root servers, and ends up with a list of
>   their names and their addresses.

RFC 8109 indicates that priming means knowing the full set of names and the full set of addresses.

> If that were true it would be impossible for the resolver to find anything. It definitely starts with some information about the root servers. Maybe change "no information" to "this information".

This distinction is important. A resolver starts with no actual information, but only meta-information: where to get the actual names and addresses for the root server. Is there a better way to say this in the -bis document?

--Paul Hoffman