25 Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP)

Prototypical answer:

Introduction

Registrars will use Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP) to register and administer domain names, nameservers and contact objects for dot BBC. Nominet, the registry service provider, will administer an EPP server which is fully compliant with Request for Comments (RFCs) 5730 to 5734. DNSSEC extensions compliant with RFC 5910 will be implemented.

Grace periods as defined in RFC 3915 will not be implemented for dot BBC. However, they have been included in the underlying architecture and can be added at any point.

Nominet will modify the EPP server as necessary to support and comply with any EPP extensions which may emerge from ICANNʹs policy making process.

The EPP interface fully supports the registration lifecycle given in the answer to question 27.


Technical Plan

Nominet is experienced in running a highly available EPP service and has provided such a service to dot UK registrars since February 2008. It is used by 900 registrars, representing over 6 million domain names out of the total of 10 million on the register. The EPP server is provided over TCP and is compliant with RFC 5734. EPP connectivity is protected using SSL. The dot UK EPP service easily handles over 2 million queries per day and the monthly percentage availability figures for the 12 months to December 2011 are shown in table 25.1 of attachment Q25_EPP_Tables.pdf.

The EPP implementation for dot BBC has been designed and will be built to match the scope and size of the dot UK registry implementation outlined above.

The EPP system has been designed using a three-tier interface-middleware-database architecture. The backend registry database will be Oracle 11g R2 Enterprise Edition based. Duplicate nodes will be used to ensure stability. The middleware will handle all business logic and will be implemented using Java and the Spring Framework (www.springsource.org). The interface module will handle connectivity and authentication of commands, and will be implemented using Java and Netty (http:⁄⁄www.jboss.org⁄netty).


Domain Name Mapping (RFC 5731)

The EPP server for dot BBC will implement the domain object mapping defined in RFC 5731 and the following commands for domain objects will be available to registrars, as specified in that RFC:

- Info command to query the attributes of a domain name, including its nameservers, contacts and status values.
- Check command to check if a domain name is registered and the likely success of a subsequent Create command.
- Transfer query to query the status of a previous transfer request.
- Create command to register a domain name.
- Delete command to cancel or ʺunregisterʺ a domain name.
- Renew command to renew a domain name and extend its expiry date.
- Transfer command to move a domain name to a new registrar. This command may also be used to accept or reject transfer requests made on domain names by other registrars.
- Update command to modify the attributes of a domain name.

Registrars can use the EPP update command to set status values on domain names to prevent operations as specified in RFC 5731:
- clientDeleteProhibited. If this is set, requests to delete the domain are rejected.
- clientRenewProhibited. If this is set, requests to renew the domain are rejected. Automatic renewal on expiry still occurs.
- clientTransferProhibited. If this is set, requests to transfer the domain are rejected.
- clientUpdateProhibited. If this is set, requests to update the attributes of the domain are prohibited
- clientHold. If this is set, the domain name is not published in the zone file.


Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) extensions Mapping (RFC5910)

DS records may be added to domain names in dot BBC using the EPP extensions defined in RFC 5910.


Host Mapping (RFC 5732)

The EPP server will implement the host object mapping defined in RFC 5732 and the following commands for host objects will be available to registrars as specified in that RFC:

- Info command to query the attributes of the host object.
- Check command to find if a host object exists in the registry and the anticipated success of a subsequent create command.
- Create command to add a host object to the registry.
- Delete command to remove a host object from the registry, provided there are no domain names linked to it.
- Update command to modify the IP addresses or status values for the host object. IP addresses are only set if the superordinate domain name for the host is in the dot BBC registry.

Registrars will be able to use the EPP update command to set status values on host objects to prevent operations as specified in RFC 5732:

- clientDeleteProhibited. If this is set, requests to delete the host object will be rejected.
- clientUpdateProhibited. If this is set, requests to update the attributes of the host object - to add or remove IP addresses or status values - will be rejected.


Contact Mapping (RFC 5733)

The EPP server for dot BBC will implement the contact object mapping defined in RFC 5733 and the following commands for contact objects will be available as specified in that RFC:

- Info command to query the attributes of a contact object
- Check command to determine if a client identifier has been provisioned in the registry and the anticipated success of a subsequent create command.
- Transfer query command to query the status of a previously requested transfer operation.
- Create command to add a new contact object to the registry.
- Delete command to remove a contact object from the registry, provided no domain names are linked to it.
- Transfer command to move the object to a new registrar.
- Update command to modify the attributes of a contact object.

Registrars will be able to use the EPP update command to set status values on contact objects to prevent operations as specified in RFC 5733:

- clientTransferProhibited. If this status is set then requests to transfer the contact will be rejected.
- clientDeleteProhibited. If this status is set then requests to delete the contact will be rejected.
- clientUpdateProhibited. If this status is set then requests to update the contacts attributes will be rejected.


Resource Plan

The EPP server for dot BBC has been implemented with pre production load testing and customisation to be completed in 2012. Nominet has large development, infrastructure and customer support teams experienced in running all its dot UK services. Nominet will dedicate the following resources and time from these existing teams, as well as additional resources where appropriate, to the post launch maintenance tasks:

- Monitoring and involvement in EPP standards development: 1 hour per week by a research team member and development team member.

Resources for technical and customer support of EPP have been included in the answer to question 24 and are not duplicated here.

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