Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) Registry Agreements

gTLD Registry Agreements establish the rights, duties, liabilities, and obligations ICANN requires of registry operators to run gTLDs.

Unsponsored TLD Agreement: Appendix C, Section E (.info)

ICANN | Unsponsored TLD Agreement: Appendix C, Section E (.info)
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Unsponsored TLD Agreement: Appendix C, Section E (.info)

(26 April 2001)


Functional Specifications

Section E—OT&E Process

Before a Registrar is allowed to join the live Shared Registry System it must first pass Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) certification. The purpose of OT&E certification is to verify the correct operation of a Registrar's client system.

Preparations for OT&E Certification

The OT&E certification process begins when a Registrar becomes accredited by ICANN to register names in the .info TLD, at which point an OT&E welcome package will be provided to the Registrar. This package will include information that will assist the Registrar in developing its client application for the Shared Registry System. This package will include the following:

  • Username and password to access the Registrar only area of the Afilias web site.
  • OT&E server information and username/password for two accounts to access the Afilias OT&E environment for Registrar client testing.
  • Instructions on where to download the Registrar Tool Kit.
  • Instructions on where to download the documentation for the Registrar Tool Kit.
  • Instructions on where to download the EPP specifications.
  • Instructions on how to proceed with the OT&E certification process.
  • Instructions on how to obtain an SSL certificate from an approved Certificate Authority.
  • Instructions on how to provide Afilias with the list of subnets that will be used to access the live Shared Registry System.
  • Documentation that will explain the tests to be performed during OT&E verification.

The Registrar is responsible for developing the client application that will interface to the Registry using the EPP protocol. The Afilias Registrar Tool Kit is available to any interested party that would like to develop Registrar client applications. A Registrar may opt to develop its application to conform to the EPP specification without the use of the Registrar Tool Kit. This is acceptable as long as the client is able to pass the OT&E certification process.

The Registry-Registrar communication channel will be encrypted. A SSL certificate from an approved Certificate Authority is required to establish this encrypted channel. The username/password and subnet list provides additional security as only a valid combination of SSL certificate; username/password and subnet will be allowed to access the live Shared Registry System.

During client development, the Registrar has access to Afilias' OT&E environment. In the OT&E environment, the Registrar may test the operation of its software to verify the correct handling of EPP commands and their responses. Operations performed in the OT&E environment will not be charged and will not have any impacts on the live Shared Registry System. Registrars will continue to have access to the OT&E environment after certification, so that they may continue to test their software systems.

When a Registrar has completed the testing of its client systems and would like to proceed with OT&E certification, it should contact Afilias technical support to schedule a time slot. Time slots will be scheduled on a first-come-first-serve basis.

At the scheduled time, the Registrar should contact the Afilias OT&E Team to initiate the certification.

The Registrar Tool Kit

The Registrar Tool Kit (RTK) is a software development kit that will support the development of a Registrar software system for registering Internet domain names in the Registry using the EPP Registry-Registrar Protocol. The RTK will consist of software and documentation as described below.

The RTK can be used by the Registrar as a basis for connecting to the Testbed environment during OT&E, and can also be used to develop a system for interfacing with the live Registry once the Registrar has been certified.

The software will consist of a working Java API and samples and C samples that can be used to implement the EPP protocol that is used to communicate between the Registry and Registrar. The samples will illustrate how XML requests (Registration Events) can be assembled and forwarded to the Registry for processing. The software will provide the Registrar with the basis for a reference implementation that conforms to the Registry-Registrar Protocol. The software component of the RTK will be based on static XML requests.

The documentation will explain to the Registrar the details of the protocol specification. It will describe the commands that need to be sent to the Registry in order to support domain registration events, as well as the possible responses that may be returned by the Registry. The precise nature of the sequencing of commands, as well as the payload that must be assembled and transmitted to the Registry, will be defined for each possible registration event.

The documentation will also describe the software (mentioned above) that implements the EPP Registry-Registrar protocol. This will consist of a description of the software package hierarchy, and an explanation of the defined objects and methods (including calling parameter lists, and expected response behavior).

The RTK will remain under development for the term of the Registry Agreement and will provide support for additional features as they become available as well as other platform and language support.

The RTK will be licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License. See also Section 2.3 of the Registry-Registrar Agreement, Appendix F.

OT&E Certification Test Cases

During OT&E certification, a Registrar's client application will be required to demonstrate the proper execution of the following operations.

  • SSL connection establishment
  • EPP <login> command
  • Change of <login> password
  • EPP <logout> command
  • Domain Name Operations
    • Create domain without nameservers and without contacts (EPP Transform <create>)
    • Create domain with nameservers
    • Create domain with contacts
    • Create domain with maximum registration period
    • Create domain with maximum number of nameservers
    • Create domain with maximum number of contacts
    • Create domain with maximum length domain name (63 characters + .INFO)
    • Create domain with invalid name
    • Check domain (EPP Query <check>) - domain not available
    • Check domain (EPP Query <check>) - domain available
    • Check domain - maximum length domain name (63 characters + .INFO) not available
    • Query domain (EPP Query <info>)
    • Query domain transfer status (EPP Query <transfer>)
    • Delete domain (EPP Transform <delete>)
    • Renew domain (EPP Transform <renew>)
    • Transfer domain (EPP Transform <transfer>)
    • Change domain (EPP Transform <update>) - nameservers
    • Change domain (EPP Transform <update>) - contact
    • Change domain (EPP Transform <update>) - status
  • Nameserver Operations
    • Create nameserver (EPP Transform <create>)
    • Create nameserver with maximum length host name (80 characters)
    • Check nameserver (EPP Query <check>) - nameserver known
    • Check nameserver (EPP Query <check>) - nameserver unknown
    • Query nameserver (EPP Query <info>)
    • Delete nameserver (EPP Transform <delete>)
    • Change nameserver (EPP Transform <update>) - add IP address
    • Change nameserver (EPP Transform <update>) - remove IP address
  • Contact Operations
    • Create contact (EPP Transform <create>)
    • Check contact (EPP Query <check>) - contact known
    • Check contact (EPP Query <check>) - contact unknown
    • Query contact (EPP Query <info>)
    • Query contact transfer status (EPP Query <transfer>)
    • Delete contact (EPP Transform <delete>)
    • Transfer contact (EPP Transform <transfer>)
    • Change contact (EPP Transform <update>) - change element
    • Change contact (EPP Transform <update>) - remove element
  • Efficiency of client session management

NOTE: Afilias reserves the right to change the OT&E certification requirements as necessary to ensure compliance with the evolving EPP standard.

Post OT&E Certification

All tests performed during OT&E certification must be completed without errors. Afilias will provide the certification results in a timely manner and provide feedback for those Registrars that failed to successfully complete the tests. Registrars may correct their systems and re-schedule for certification. Registrars will not be limited in the number of attempts at OT&E certification.

Upon successful OT&E certification, the Registrar becomes eligible for operation in the live Shared Registry System. A new username/password is assigned and Afilias will configure the live system to recognize the SSL certificate, username and subnet blocks for the Registrar. The Registrar may start operation when it has satisfied the financial requirements for going live.


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