392 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
392 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
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[ netinfo/what-the-nic-does.txt ]
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THE DDN NETWORK INFORMATION CENTER (NIC)
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The DDN Network Information Center (NIC) is located at Government Systems,
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Inc., Chantilly, VA, and is funded by the Defense Information Systems Agency's
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Defense Network System Organization (DISA DNSO) to provide general user
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services to DDN users via telephone, electronic mail, and U.S. postal mail.
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The NIC works closely with the network Host Administrators, Node Site
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Coordinators, domain administrators, network coordinators, network
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protocol groups, vendors, contractors, government agencies, and military
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sponsors to assist new users and potential subscribers in obtaining
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pertinent network information.
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Databases and information servers of interest to network users are
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provided, including the WHOIS registry of network users, the NIC/Query
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browsing system, TACNEWS, and the official DoD Host Name Service. The NIC
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is the source for official DDN protocol documents (other than the
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MIL-STDs), as well as other DDN documents, and maintains the RFC (Request
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for Comments) collection. Many of the online files are available through
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the NIC's automatic mail service, SERVICE@NIC.DDN.MIL.
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The NIC registers hosts and domains, assigns IP network numbers and
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Autonomous System Numbers, and provides host name translation tables
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and domain name system server files to the DDN/DARPA Internet. The
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NIC also registers network users and issues MILNET TAC access cards.
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I. USER ASSISTANCE SERVICE
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Toll-free telephone service is available Monday through Friday, 7 am
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to 7 pm, Eastern Standard time. Users who experience problems with using the
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network in general, and with terminal-to-TAC use in particular, are
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encouraged to make use of this service.
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Toll-free: 1-800-365-3642
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International: 1-703-802-4535
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II. NIC ONLINE MAILBOXES
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To contact the NIC via electronic mail 24 hours a day, 7 days a
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week, use these mailboxes:
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NIC@NIC.DDN.MIL General user assistance, document requests
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REGISTRAR@NIC.DDN.MIL User registration and WHOIS updates
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HOSTMASTER@NIC.DDN.MIL Host, domain, network changes and updates
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ACTION@NIC.DDN.MIL NIC computer operations
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SUGGESTIONS@NIC.DDN.MIL Comments on NIC services
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SERVICE@NIC.DDN.MIL Automatic mail service
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BILLING@NIC.DDN.MIL Question regarding bills for network usage
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SCC@NIC.DDN.MIL General security-related information and
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support
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III. NIC U.S. POSTAL ADDRESS
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Send U.S. postal mail correspondence to:
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DDN Network Information Center
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14200 Park Meadow Dr., Suite 200
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Chantilly, VA 22021
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IV. NIC COMPUTER SERVICES
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The NIC host computer is a SUN 470, running the SUN operating
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system, and its hostname is NIC.DDN.MIL. Its network address is
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192.112.36.5.
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The network address of the NIC root domain server is 192.
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The network address of the NIC's MILNET gateway is 26.25.0.201.
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NIC online services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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V. DOCUMENTS DISTRIBUTED BY THE NIC
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The NIC distributes the following documents, all of which are
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available in hardcopy and some of which are available online. Many of
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these documents are deposited at the Defense Technical Information
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Center (DTIC). An annotated list of NIC publications is found in the
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file netinfo/nic-pubs.txt on NIC.DDN.MIL.
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Title Online Filename
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DDN Brochure
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DDN New User Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . netinfo/nug.doc
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DDN Newsletters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ddn-news/ddn-news-NN.txt
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DDN Management Bulletins . . . . . . . .ddn-news/ddn-mgt-bulletin-NN.txt
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DDN Security Bulletins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .scc/ddn-security-YYNN
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Network Protocol Implementations and Vendors Guide . . . . . . . . . . .
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .netinfo/vendors-guide.doc
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DDN Protocol Handbook
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DDN Subscriber Interface Guide
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DDN Subscriber Security Guide
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DDN X.25 Host Interface Specification. . . . . . . . . . netinfo/x25.doc
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FYIs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .fyi/fyiNN.txt
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FYI Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fyi/fyi-index.txt
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Logical and Geographic Maps of MILNET and ARPANET
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RFCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .rfc/rfcNNN.txt
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RFC Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rfc/rfc-index.txt
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NOTE: In the filenames, the "nn" or the "nnn" should be replaced by the
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number of the newsletter, bulletin or RFC. For Security Bulletins,
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"YYNN" refers to the year the bulletin was issued followed by
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the number of the bulletin for that year, e.g. "9001".
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To retrieve a document whose filename is listed above, open an FTP
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connection to the NIC.DDN.MIL host, login as user ANONYMOUS and provide
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the password GUEST. Retrieve the desired file.
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VI. ONLINE INFORMATION SERVERS
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a. TACNEWS
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TACNEWS offers login help for DDN TAC users, includes the current list
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of TAC dial-up numbers, and provides a mechanism for reading the DDN
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Newsletters, Management Bulletins, and Security Bulletins. Users
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should read these Newsletters and Bulletins regularly to stay current
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on DDN policies, announcements, and network news items.
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Accessing TACNEWS
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From a TAC, type "@N" after being greeted with the TAC banner, press
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RETURN, and provide your User ID and Access Code when prompted. When
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greeted by the NIC host, type "TACNEWS" and press RETURN.
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From a DDN host, use the TELNET program to connect to host
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NIC.DDN.MIL. When greeted by the NIC host, type "TACNEWS" and press
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RETURN.
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b. WHOIS/NICNAME
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WHOIS/NICNAME is a NIC program that provides an electronic "white pages"
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of network users. It lists the name, network mailbox, postal address,
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and telephone number, for all registered users. Host, TAC, domain,
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and network information may be obtained from WHOIS as well.
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Accessing WHOIS/NICNAME
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From a TAC, type "@N" after being greeted with the TAC banner, press
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RETURN, and provide your User ID and Access Code when prompted. When
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greeted by the NIC host, type "WHOIS" and press RETURN.
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From a DDN host, use the TELNET program to connect to host NIC.DDN.MIL.
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When greeted by the NIC host, type "WHOIS" and press RETURN.
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WHOIS/NICNAME may also be run from a local host. WHOIS/NICNAME user
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programs for several operating systems are available from the NIC.
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Contact the NIC for sources.
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c. NIC/QUERY
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NIC/QUERY contains host information, protocol and other document
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information, and access to WHOIS/NICNAME. NIC/QUERY is geared toward
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novice or casual users. It also provides access to the services
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offered by TACNEWS.
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Accessing NIC/QUERY
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From a TAC, type "@N" after being greeted with the TAC banner, press
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RETURN, and provide your User ID and Access Code when prompted. Type
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"NIC" and press RETURN when greeted by the NIC host.
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From a DDN host, use the TELNET program to connect to host NIC.DDN.MIL.
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Type "NIC" and press RETURN when greeted by the NIC host.
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d. NAMSER
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NAMSER is an internet hostname server on NIC.DDN.MIL port 101 decimal.
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This server delivers machine-translatable hostname/address/attribute
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information for networks, gateways, and hosts within the DDN. The
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server can deliver a single response or the entire host table,
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depending upon the type of query sent. The server provides the
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information outlined in RFC 952, and is itself described in RFC 953.
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Accessing NAMSER
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The server is designed to be accessed via a client program following
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the protocol specified in RFC 953.
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e. ROOT DOMAIN NAME SERVER
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The NIC is responsible for generating and installing the DNS files
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into the NS.NIC.DDN.MIL root server and the six alternate root servers
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on a twice-weekly basis.
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VII. ONLINE FILES
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The NIC maintains a number of online files which are available to
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network subscribers via the file transfer program (FTP) or Kermit.
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These files contain information about protocols, site personnel,
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hosts, and other subjects relevant to network users. See the file
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NETINFO:00NETINFO-INDEX.TXT for an index to the files in the NETINFO
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directory. See also the DDN New User Guide, or contact the NIC User
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Assistance service for more information. Other publicly accessible
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directories include PROTOCOLS, RFC, IEN, SCC, and DDN-NEWS. Each of
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these additional directories has an index in the format
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00DIRECTORY-INDEX.TXT or DIRECTORY-INDEX.TXTin order to allow users to
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quickly identify the files they need.
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a. How to Retrieve NIC files Using FTP
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To retrieve any of the NIC's public files via your local FTP program,
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connect to the NIC.DDN.MIL host, and log in as ANONYMOUS with password
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GUEST. FTP program use varies slightly from host to host, so please
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consult your Host Administrator for instructions, if needed.
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b. How to Retrieve NIC Files Using Kermit
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The NIC provides a Kermit server for file retrieval. Users should connect
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to the NIC.DDN.MIL host from a TAC. To run the NIC's Kermit server from a
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TAC, type "@N" after being greeted with the TAC banner, press RETURN, and
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provide your User ID and Access Code when prompted. Type "KERMIT" and
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press RETURN when greeted by the NIC host. The user should then enter the
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Kermit escape sequence to return control to his local Kermit client
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program and issue the local Kermit "GET" command to retrieve the desired
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file or files.
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c. How to Use the NIC's Automated Mail Service
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SERVICE@NIC.DDN.MIL is an automated service provided by the DDN
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Network Information Center. It allows access to NIC documents and
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information via ordinary electronic mail. This is especially useful
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for users who do not have access to the NIC via a direct Internet
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link, such as users of BITNET, CSNET and UUCP sites.
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To use the mail service, send a mail message to SERVICE@NIC.DDN.MIL.
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In the SUBJECT field, request the type of service you wish followed by
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any needed arguments. The message body is normally ignored. Large files
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will be broken into smaller separate messages. The information you
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request will be sent back to you as soon as possible.
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The following services are currently available:
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HELP This message; a list of current services.
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HOST xxx Returns information about host xxx. WHOIS xxx can
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also be used to get more details about a host.
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IEN nnn nnn is the IEN number or the word INDEX.
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IETF xxx xxx is a file name
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INDEX Returns the master list of available index files.
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INTERNET-DRAFTS xxx xxx is a file name
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NETINFO xxx xxx is a file name or the word INDEX.
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RFC nnn nnn is the RFC number or the word INDEX.
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RFC nnn.PS to retrieve an available Postscript RFC. Check RFC INDEX for
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form of RFC.
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FYI nnn nnn is the FYI number or the word INDEX.
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FYI nnn.PS to retrieve postscript versions of FYI files.
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SEND xxx xxx is a fully specified file name.
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WHOIS xxx Returns information about xxx from the WHOIS service.
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Use "WHOIS HELP" for information on how to use WHOIS.
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Example SUBJECT lines:
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HELP
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RFC 822
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RFC INDEX
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RFC 1119.PS
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FYI 1
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IETF 1DIRECTORIES.TXT
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INTERNET-DRAFTS 1ID-ABSTRACTS.TXT
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NETINFO DOMAIN-TEMPLATE.TXT
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SEND RFC:ASSIGNED-NUMBERS.TXT
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SEND IETF:1WG-SUMMARY
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SEND INTERNET-DRAFTS:DRAFT-IETF-IWG-BGP-OO.TXT
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HOST NIC.DDN.MIL
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WHOIS NEOU, VIVIAN
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Send comments or suggestions to SUGGESTIONS@NIC.DDN.MIL. Send questions
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and bug reports to BUG-SERVICE@NIC.DDN.MIL.
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VIII. USER REGISTRATION
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Host Administrators have overall responsibility for registering their
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users. When new users acquire accounts on MILNET hosts, their Host
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Administrator must complete a NIC-generated template to register them in
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the NIC database. Names and addresses of Host Administrators are found on
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the NIC.DDN.MIL host in the files NETINFO:MIL-HOST-ADMINISTRATORS-A-L.TXT,
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NETINFO:MIL-HOST-ADMINISTRATORS-M-Z.TXT and
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NETINFO:ARPA-HOST-ADMINISTRATORS.TXT.
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End users who require MILNET TAC dial-up access to reach their hosts must
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have TAC Access cards that are provided by the NIC. Approval for
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distributing the card is sent to the NIC from the user's Host
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Administrator. Until the user is permanently registered, there may be
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temporary "Guest" TAC cards available from the Host Administrator for
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immediate use.
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IX. HOST, DOMAIN, NETWORK NUMBER, IN-ADDR, AND ASN REGISTRATION
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The NIC is responsible for the registration of hosts, domains, IP
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networks, and autonomous systems numbers (ASNs) used by various
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organizations connected to the DDN Internet.
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To include a new host in the DDN Internet Host Table, the template
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found in NETINFO:IHOST-TEMPLATE.TXT needs to be completed and returned
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to HOSTMASTER@NIC.DDN.MIL. Hosts included in the Host Table are
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limited to those hosts acting as domain or IN-ADDR servers, gateways,
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and hosts integral for mail routing.
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Twice weekly, information is generated and installed into the DDN
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Internet Host Table as NETINFO:HOSTS.TXT, which is a listing of the
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hosts, gateways, and networks attached to the Internet and registered
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with the NIC. From this file, two additional files are generated:
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HOSTS.TXT-Z, a UNIX compressed version of the HOSTS.TXT file; and
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MIL-HOSTS.TXT, a complete listing of the MILNET hosts in HOSTS.TXT.
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Domains are registered via the domain template found in
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NETINFO:DOMAIN-TEMPLATE.TXT. New domain information is installed into
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the seven DNS root servers on a twice-weekly basis. Information
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regarding the root servers is kept in NETINFO:ROOT-SERVERS.TXT.
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Additionally, a listing of the domains registered with the NIC can be
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found in NETINFO:DOMAIN-INFO.TXT. A listing of the netaddresses of
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the domain servers for individual top-level domains can be found in
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NETINFO:DOMAINS.TXT.
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Network number assignments are made when a network POC completes the
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template in NETINFO:INTERNET-NUMBER-TEMPLATE.TXT and returns the
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template to Hostmaster. A complete listing of government sponsored
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networks is found in NETINFO:NETWORKS.TXT.
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To provide address to hostname reverse resolution, IN-ADDR domains are
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registered within the domain root servers via an IN-ADDR template sent
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to the HOSTMASTER mailbox. This template can be found in
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NETINFO:IN-ADDR-TEMPLATE.TXT.
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The NIC assigns autonomous system numbers (ASNs) when the template
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found in NETINFO:ASN-TEMPLATE.TXT is sent to HOSTMASTER@NIC.DDN.MIL.
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A complete listing of assigned ASNs is found in NETINFO:ASN.TXT.
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From the domain, network number, and ASN templates, POC information is
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extracted and individuals that are not already registered are given
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records in the WHOIS database.
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X. USAGE SENSITIVE BILLING DESK
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The NIC also answers queries about bills for use of the DDN via the
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Usage Sensitive Billing (USB) desk. If you have a bill for DDN usage
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and have any questions about it, you can contact the USB desk several
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ways:
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E-mail: BILLING@NIC.DDN.MIL
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Phone: 1-800-365-3642
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1-703-802-4535
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Postal mail: DDN Network Information Center
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14200 Park Meadow Dr., Suite 200
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Chantilly, VA 22021
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Phone hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
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XI. SECURITY COORDINATION CENTER
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The NIC is the site of the DDN Security Coordination Center (SCC).
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The SCC acts in conjunction with the DDN Network Security Officer to
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coordinate actions regarding security incidents and network
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vulnerabilities. The SCC relays security-related information to the
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Network Security Officer and works with him in handling network
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security problems. In addition, the SCC issues DDN Security Bulletins
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to network users. The SCC can be contacted in these ways:
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E-mail: SCC@NIC.DDN.MIL
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Phone: 1-800-365-3642
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1-703-802-4535
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Postal mail: DDN Network Information Center
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14200 Park Meadow Dr., Suite 200
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Chantilly, VA 22021
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Phone hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
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