ICANN stands for “Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers” is an organisation that deals with managing DNS and providing IP addresses to the servers.It does not regulate internet but formulates and enforces unique identifiers to spread its usage to everyone in a way that is secure and easy to access.Now Internet has become globalized, domain names are registered everyday, websites, too, are launched by leaps and bounds. If there were no rules as how to co-operate, co-ordinate and maintain domain name registration, record it and provide it a unique IP address, then there would be much problems. None could say whether a domain name is available for registration, already registered or expired.To overcome these hurdles it was necessary to make an organization that would handle, supervise and collaborate with domains, IP addressing and other works centered around these. To undertake these tasks ICANN was created. So, in brief, it makes Internet secure, manageable, interoperable, dynamic and reachable.
Page Contents
Who formed ICANN?
ICANN was formed in 1988 in USA,headquartered in Southern California, under the Department of Commerce that constitutes a large number of multiple stakeholders including technical experts,as well as representatives of government and business owners. It was founded by John Postel and Esther Dyson.
What is the purpose of ICANN?
ICANN was formed to keep Internet secure, stable and inter-operable all over the world. It promotes and co-ordinates Internet’s unique identifiers, viz, supplies IP addresses to all registries, legislates laws on Internet and makes correlation with DNS via Root Servers.
How ICANN is structured?
ICANN is made up of different groups and committees playing various and unique interest on the Internet. Each group makes contribution to the final decision made by ICANN. The works the groups represent are IP addressing, Domain naming and maintaining top- level domain( TLD) based on country code.
It has three ‘supporting organisations’ each one represents a particular role assigned to it, such as
- The organisation that manages IP addresses.
- The organisation that deals with domain names.
- The other out of the three manages country-code top-level domain(ccTLD).
There are also four advisory committees that provide advice to the ICANN to maintain:
- International treaty
- Root Servers
- Internet Security
- Community or average Internet users ‘At-large.
There is also a Technical Liaison Group for co-operating and collaborating with the organisations devising the basic protocol for Internet Technologies.
Besides, ICANN has a Board of Directors to make final decisions. This board is made of 21 members of which 15 can apply voting rights and the remaining 6 ones are non-voting liaisons. The majority of the voting members are chosen by an Independent Nominating Committee and the remainders are nominated from supporting organisations.
There are also a president and a CEO who supervise the works of the staffs all over the world from different countries. They help co-ordinate, manage and implement the various discussions, decisions and norms made by the concerned organisations, groups and committees.
How does ICANN manage IP Address?
Every domain name is the main part of a website and it is assigned an IP address when hosted on a hosting provider. This task is monitored, maintained and co-operated by this organization. It plays only administrative role and doesn’t run the system. A website can’t have two domains with same name and same extension, rather a unique a unique domain and similarly the IP address too must be identical and unique. Thus said, it co-ordinates, checks repetition among the billion of registered domains, works as repository.
In addition to this, it provides large range or block of IP address to regional registries who subsequently supplies this to Internet Service Providers and they again allocate this to individual device.
How ICANN Manages DNS?
Domain Name System or DNS makes Internet accessible to us and gives us an easier way of remembering a web addresss.
When a computer, laptop, pc, an android or any device gets connected to any other server or device, it uses Internet and this connection between two device is facilitated by an IP address. You may ask me, “What is an IP address? ” Indeed it is a good question that deserves due answer. To speak in simple terms, an IP address may be called a numerical label consisting of a series of numbers or a mixer of numbers and letters to represent the connected device and the active network. It is very difficult for human beings to remember this long list of numbers,so, to it simplified DNS turns it into a series of letters that ultimately relates to the previous series of numbers with precision.
This system works for website’s name. Although computers use this series of numbers to identify and communicate with each other, but we, being human being, cannot remember and instead use domain name, the most crucial part of a website.
So, DNS makes Internet easier to us for use. It prevents a domain name from being sticked to a particular computer, allows for change of link between a specific domain and an IP address. This change may be recognised by the whole Internet within a period of 48 hours. Thanks to the constantly updating infrastructure of DNS that results in ultra-flexible system.
A domain consists of two parts, one comes before the dot(.) and the other after it. The first part represents website’s name that may be an institute, organization or name of any other entity. The latter part that comes after dot indicates a kind of domain extension such as “com,” “org,” “net,” “info,” “co,” etc. These are also called TLD( Top Level Domain ). For each specific TLD there is a registry that keeps all records of domains with a particular extension and can show you the associated IP addresses.
There are many registrars all over the world who sell domain names to the registrants. As to registration, regulation and maintenance of domain there are many rules. The registrars can charge any reasonable amount of fee for selling domains through registration and have to pay a set per domain fee to the particular registry under whose custody they are.Once a domain registered with a particular TLD can’t be registered again with the same name.
ICANN keeps hold of contracts with these registries, runs an accreditation system for registrars and harnesses an environment that is stable, consistent and interoperable for the domain name system and hence, we get the Internet.
So, in a nutshell, the ICANN through DNS provides addressing system for the internet that helps to find out a particular website or email out of millions entities combined with IP deatail.
How ICANN Co-operates with Root Server?
There are thirteen root servers and thirteen IP address can be found. Any server out of these thirteen having an IP address can be located in dozens of physical areas of the web. In spite of that, all these servers store a copy of the same file that acts as the main index of the Internet’s address books. Each top level domain has its own address therein listed under a particular address book that contains the all addresses of that specific TLD. In fact, the root servers are not frequently consulted every time when the connecting computers on a network know that the address of the targeted domain has so far not changed. It saves time and increases speed of website. But the case is not always the same. If needed, it checks back the domain’s address for confirmation that it hasn’t changed. Nonetheless, root servers are required for proper and smooth functioning of Internet.
How ICANN Relates to Whois?
Many readers ask, “Is ICANN Related to Whois? ” Of course, it is related to but how each one of the two became interconnected to one another is a matter that needs discussion. I will not delve into the details, just discuss a little for your convenience. Actually, Whois was established in back 1982 by the Internet Engineering Tusk Force(IETF) for the users of ARPANET, the forerunner of Internet and network in the U.S.A. As days passed, Internet became widespred, dynamic and growing. Users felt the need to secure their business information such as name, phone number, email etc. So, when in 1998 the ICANN was established, inherited the Whois.
Now all the registrants of domains can find out their information submitted to the registrars via Whois database. It serves as the repository of data related to registry, registrar and registrant of domains. The registry may be an individual agency or company recording all data and address of all domains with a specific domain extension like .com or .org. Registrar is an ICANN accredited company that provides registration and the selling of domains while the registrant is the actual owner who owns a domain. The researchers formulate laws, rules and customs as to domain related management and these are approved, applied and if needed legally enforced by the ICANN.
” ICANN is committed to implementing means to maintain timely, unrestricted and public access to accurate and complete Whois information, subject to applicable laws. To do that registrars and registries provide public access to data on registered domain”
whois.icann.org
How does ICANN make decisions?
Whenever any change is made to the Internet,it is done through the following process. If there arises any issue, change or concern to the existing network, then it is raised within one of the supporting organisation where it is discussed, a report is produced and finally put out for public review. If it affects any group or organisation, then the affected organisation or group, too, makes a review and put out it for public review/feedback for the second time.
At the end of the process, the ICANN Board is given a report explaining all the aforesaid discussions and the subsequent recommendations based on reviews. The board discusses the matter, approves the changes, rejects all, approves some and rejects other, or sends the issue again to one of the organisations to make review with an explanation as to why and what problems need to be resolved before it can be approved.
This process is run until all the groups, teams or organisation concur to a compromise or discussion made by the Board of Directors to solve the problematic issue.
Can ICANN be held accountable?
ICANN can be held accountable both by internally and externally. Already you have known that this entity has made of various groups, organisation and staffs from all over the world. Some members have voting rights and the remaining haven’t. So, internally it is held responsible by laws, Board of the organisation, nominating committees, review, panel and ombudsman.
On the other hand, as far as external accountabilities are concerned, ICANN is held accountable to the laws of the State of California and the U.S. Judicial System. So, it must abide by the laws of the United States. If the members, directors or staffs violate any rule, then they can be called into account by the judicial system of U.S.A.
Does ICANN take charge for domain registration?
If you want to make a website to run a blog, an e-commerce, a review or any kind of site to carry out online activities, then you have to go through a number of steps, such as selecting a domain name, registering it, selecting and purchasing a webhost where to build your site and subsequently adding to it a number of essential themes and plugins. So, after selection of domain when you register it for your site, ICANN will charge about $ 0.18 as mandatory fee per each domain. This is not only for registration but also for renewal and transfer.
