In the world of TCP/IP networking, the Domain Name Service (DNS) is an important service used by everyone. The DNS consists of networked computers that translate Internet names, such as helix.nih.gov, into the IP addresses necessary to make the connection.

For example, to open a file transfer (FTP) session to Helix, you would FTP to helix.nih.gov, and the name server would translate that name into the IP address of the FTP host machine.

The NIH DNS runs so quietly and reliably in the background that many users don’t even realize it exists—in computer jargon, it is "transparent to the user." Nonetheless, DNS is essential to the proper functioning of NIHnet. Recent changes in DNS promise to make the service even more reliable, as well as more user friendly.

To understand the changes, it is necessary to understand a bit about how DNS works. On a TCP/IP network such as NIHnet (indeed, the entire Internet), every device is assigned a unique numeric designation called an IP address. The IP address specifies where a machine is "located" on the network, allowing the packets of information that constitute network traffic to reach the proper destination.

When a networked computer is registered with DNS, it is assigned a hostname, such as helix.nih.gov. Aliases, or alternate names, can also be registered. Users can then utilize either name—rather than the hard-to-remember numeric IP address—when referring to a computer for transferring a file, or addressing a particular mail server. Also additional IP addresses can be registered for a given device, or "host" machine, allowing two or more networked devices to share a processing workload. These are recorded in the DNS server’s internal data files so that the information can be accessed when needed by other TCP/IP network functions.

The NIH DNS has a webpage at http://www.net.nih.gov/DNS. Now NIH users may register a hostname, set up an alias, perform DNS lookups, assign additional IP addresses, and perform other basic DNS changes themselves. Visitors can simply fill out and submit a brief form to effect DNS changes.

The DNS change request forms are straight-forward and provide immediate feedback. For the present, change requests are checked by the DNS Administrator and processed within one business day or less. If the system continues to work smoothly, it will be fully automated, allowing most changes to be processed within 20 minutes—except those that require special processing.

The primary and secondary DNS server hardware and software have both undergone upgrades. This should ensure continued reliability and performance as NIHnet continues to grow.

Before the web-based change capability was implemented, DNS change requests were emailed to dns@nih.gov. In the near future users who send mail to that address will be referred to the new webpage.

Questions and non-routine DNS requests that cannot be made via the webpage (e.g., registering a host in the NIH.GOV domain) should be addressed to "Administrators, NIH DNS" on the MS Exchange global address list, or to hostmaster@nih.gov. To speak immediately with a person concerning the NIH DNS, please contact TASC.