Domain Name Registration Glossary - 1
ACK (Acknowledge)
An acknowledgement (approval) from an authorized contact for a domain name record that a requested modification to a domain name's registration information should be completed. When a modification request is received from a source that is not an authorized contact/agent, the request will be rejected by the InterNIC and a message will be sent to the listed contacts asking them to ACK (approve) or NAK (No Acknowledgement or disapprove) the modification .
Additional Servers
Any name servers, aside from the primary and secondary name servers listed on the Domain Name Registration Agreement , that will be available to resolve a particular domain name to its corresponding Internet Protocol(IP)number(s).
Administrative Contact/Agent
The administrative contact/agent is an individual or role account authorized to interact with Network Solutions on behalf of the domain name registrant. The administrative contact/agent should be able to answer non-technical questions about the domain name's registration and the domain name registrant. It is strongly recommended that this contact/agent be the registrant or someone from the registrant's organization.
Anonymous FTP
A File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is an Internet standard for transferring files between computers. Most FTP transfers require you log in to the system supplying the information by using an authorized username and password. However, a variation known as "anonymous FTP" lets you log in as "anonymous," i.e., you don't need a username or a password.
APNIC(Asia-Pacific Network Information Center)
APNIC is a collaborative effort consisting of national Network Information Centers (NICs) and Internet Service Providers within the Asian-Pacific region. The APNIC acts as a regional Internet Registry , providing the allocation of Internet Protocol (IP) address space to the Asian-Pacific region.
ARIN(American Registry for Internet Numbers)
The newly-formed, non-profit organization established to manage the allocation of Internet Protocol (IP) numbers for the areas currently served by the InterNIC's Registration Services: the Americas, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa. The National Science Foundation (NSF) approved the establishment of ARIN on June 24, 1997.
ASCII-armored
A feature of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) , which "encases" an encrypted message in ASCII, allowing the message to be sent via e-mail as a regular message.
Authentication
The process of verifying the identity of an individual or organization. Authentication enables someone to verify that individuals and organizations are who they say they are. Authentication allows the recipient in an electronic transaction to be confident of both the identity of the sender and the integrity of the message.
Authorization
A process to verify that an individual or organization that has requested an action actually has the right to make the request. Requiring a password to modify a domain names' registration information is an example of authorization.
Auto-parser
An automated program that extracts information from the fields in the registration forms. The auto-parser will detect errors or incomplete information in the registration forms . Upon receipt of complete and correct registration forms the auto-parser enters the appropriate data into Network Solutions' domain name database.
Auto Responder
An automated program that acknowledges receipt of an email message (e.g., a Domain Name Registration Agreement , a question, or some other type of electronic correspondence) and creates a tracking number for the email message. The auto responder sends the acknowledgment via email to the requester; the subject line of the email message will contain the tracking number.
Bandwidth
The rate at which data can be sent across a particular connection or pathway.
Billing Contact/Agent
As used by InterNIC, the billing contact/agent contact is the person or role account designated to receive the invoice for domain name registration fees and renewal (re-registration) fees . The billing contact should be in a position to ensure prompt payment of fees.
Browser:
Software used to search and retrieve information from the World Wide Web. The two commonly used are Microsoft Explorer and Netscape.
Clear-text Password
The plain text version of an encrypted password.
com(.com)
The top-level domain originally intended for "commercial" entities. One of the worldwide top-level domains, in which any person or organization may register a domain name.
Contact/Agent
Contacts/Agents are individuals or groups who represent the registrant on matters related to the registrant's domain name. There are three types of contacts/agents: administrative , technical , or billing . The entity listed as the administrative, technical, or billing contact/agent should be the entity best able to answer questions about that particular aspect of the domain name's registration, and should be authorize to represent the domain name registrant. A contact/agent may be a single person or may be a group or organization where several individuals act in a role (e.g., Internet Service Provider (ISP) Support Center).
Contact Form (Contact Template)
The electronic form used to register a new domain name contact/agent or modify information for an existing contact. Formerly referred to as the contact template.
Cookie
A file or data item left on your computer by a server or other system you've connected to. They are most commonly used to allow the server to record information about what screens you've already seen and any personalizing information you've supplied. Many users find this an invasion of Privacy, as few systems tell you they are collecting and recording data. There are a number of "anti-cookie" softwares that automatically erase any such data between visits to your site.
Country Code
A standard two-letter abbreviation for the name of a country. It is used with domain names with locations outside the United States. For example, "ca" in "domainmart.com.ca" refers to Canada. Click here for a complete list of country codes.
