This glossary was written and prepared by Blair Bergum of  DNSnews.net
For additions or corrections to this glossary, please send email to glossary at dnsnews dot net

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IAB

Internet Architecture Board (formerly known as the Internet Activities Board) is a technical body that oversees the Internet protocols. The IAB is also the overseeing body for the IETF and the IRTF. As of June 1992, the IAB, IETF, and the IRTF were merged under the name of the Internet Society. http://www.isi.edu/iab

IAHC

International Ad Hoc Committee, a non-governmental task force, organized in September of 1996. The IAHC was comprised of the ISOC, WIPO, ITU, and the FNC, to resolve DNS management issues. The IAHC was formerly dissolved on May 1st, 1997.

IANA

Internet Assigned Numbers Authority who supports ICANN and originally operated under contract from DARPA. IANA coordinates the DNS process by allocating blocks of numerical addresses (IP numbers) to regional registries originally under contract with DARPA and now under the authority of ICANN. IANA also performed the collective functions of publishing a list of technical parameters used in the protocol assignment of IP addresses. http://www.iana.org

ICANN

Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers. A private non-profit corporation formed by the Internet community at the invitation of the U.S. government, to assume responsibility for the technology-management issues of the Internet, including the coordination of the DNS. ICANN received authority from the U.S. Department of Commerce in October of 1998, to manage the DNS, the assignment of protocol parameters, and IP address space management. Found at the following address:

http://www.icann.org

ICANN Subsidiary Bodies

Include the DNSO, ASO, PSO, and the GAC.

ICANN Watch

A non-profit independent organization, not affiliated or sanctioned by ICANN, that formed to provide an avenue for commentary and criticism from various perspectives concerning ICANN policy and developments. There website is at www.IcannWatch.org.

ICMP

Internet Control Message Protocol, is an error reporting protocol used between a host server and the gateway. ICMP is described in RFC 792.

ICP

Internet Cache Protocol, is a protocol that allows reverse-proxy servers to retrieve caches from other reverse-proxy caches.

IDC

Internet Data Center, provides connectivity to the Internet backbone by leasing access to cages, cabinets, or racks, that connect to the backbone.

IDS

Intrusion Detection System, a security device that sounds and alarm when it detects an attack in progress.

IE

Microsoft Corporation’s version of an Internet browser for connecting to the World Wide Web.

IEC

International Electrotechnical Commission, an international organization responsible for developing technology standards.

IEEE

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, is a group that designs and sets the standards used in network protocol technologies.

IEPG

Internet Engineering Planning Group, a group of ISP’s whose objective is to promote the technical stability of the Internet. http://iepg.org

IESG

Internet Engineering Steering Group, is the governing body of the IETF. http://www.ietf.org/iesg.html

IETF

Internet Engineering Task Force, provides the specific technical parameters of the Internet protocol suite which includes protocol numbers, port numbers, autonomous system numbers, management information base object identifiers, and others. http://www.ietf.org

IIS

Internet Information Server, is the name given for a MS server that is either Windows NT based or Windows 2000 based.

IMAP

Internet Message Access Protocol is a method for receiving email messages similar to POP, but with enhanced features, so one can edit and manipulate email messages from multiple computers.

imap.

IMAP mailserver, see also IMAP.

IN

ARPA Internet, is a programming code for the Internet class in the DNS Resource Records.

Include file

a text file that is embedded within a html file to create a dynamic web page, upon loading. See also SSI.

Information Super Highway

is another name for the Internet, specifically, the backbone that connects the various host computers to one another.

IN

Internet Class used in identification when creating and modifying zone records.

IN-ADDR.ARPA

is the method for reverse DNS, where an IP address from a network or host is translated into a Domain Name.

INTA

International Trademark Association, is a non-profit organization that promotes trademark protection for international commerce. Formerly founded in 1878 as U.S. Trademark Association, and changed its name in 1993 to reflect its international concern and membership.

internet

a group of networked networks that all use the same internetworking protocols.

Internet

the World Wide Web, that consists of a global network of networks that are publicly accessed by any computer on the network. The Internet was derived from the ARPAnet originally.

internet address

the 32 bit IP address represented in a dotted octet format, that specifies the location of a computer or host on a network.

Internet Cache Protocol

see ICP.

Internet Protocol

see IP

InterNIC

is the first and original Internet Registry. Later known as a central registry when there were three other regional registries formed. It is now known as the Northern Regional Registry and handles the northern region and all the yet undelegated regions for domains.

intranet

same as an internet, but emphasizes a private network or internet within an organization, and only accessible to members of that organization.

Intrusion Detection System

see IDS.

inverse queries

see reverse DNS.

inverted tree

a diagrammatic representation of a database file structure where the root node is at the top and the lesser nodes of children nodes fall below.

IP

Internet Protocol, a TCP/IP protocol that is connectionless, and is used primarily for addressing and routing packets between hosts.

IP address

Internet Protocol address that consists of a 12 digit number that is in the format of a four dot number that identifies a host on the internet.

IP prefix

denotes the number following the slash that follows a standard IP address utilizing Classless Inter-Domain Routing, CIDR. See also CIDR.

IP pointing

Used in domain name or DNS management of pointing the registrant’s domain name to the IP address of the registrant's web host provider.

IPC

Intellectual Property Creators, is an organization that aids in the patent enforcement and public policy for inventors, product developers, and entrepreneurs. http://www.ipcreators.org

IPless

the name of a virtual IP software service program that allows for virtual IP’s.

iPOC

interim Policy Oversight Committee, created through the gTLD-MoU.

IPP

Internet Presence Provider, focuses solely on providing support for your web pages.

Ipv4

Internet Protocol version 4, uses 32 bit numeric addresses for its’ protocol.

Ipv6

Internet Protocol version 6, uses 128 bit long IP addresses. That is eight groups of up to four hexadecimal digits, separated by a colon.

IRTF

Internet Research Task Force, chartered by the IAB.

IS

Information Services

ISD

Internet Standards Documents, that refers to standards that are used and can be found in RFC’s, Internet-Drafts, and other material produced as a part of the Internet Standards Process as defined in RFC 2026, and all other Internet material.

ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network is a digital network that provides voice and data communications using circuit switching while using standard telephone wiring.

ISI

Information Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California, (USC).

ISO

International Organization for Standardization, is a voluntary worldwide organization that promotes the development and standardization to facilitate the exchange of goods and services internationally. The name ISO actually comes from the greek word "isos" meaning "equal".

ISO 3166

International Standard Organization’s agreement 3166, establishes the official two-letter country code TLD’s (ccTLD’S) for every participating country and territory in the world.

ISOC

Internet Society, a non-profit international organization formed in 1992 to aid in the development and coordination of the Internet. http://www/isoc.org

ISP

Internet Service Provider, provides clients access to the World Wide Web via their home computer or workstation. ISP’s can provide dial-out or connection links to connect you to the WWW.

ISPO

Information Society Promotion Office - European Forum

iteration

is when a resolver returns the best answer from a name server being queried. Each query is a separate query.

iterative

see iteration.

iTLD

International TLD, is another name to identify a gTLD’ which is open to anyone in any country to register.

ITU

International Telecommunications Union, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland is an international organization within the United Nations to assist in the coordination of the global telecom networks and services. http://itu.int

IXFR

Incremental Zone Transfer Requests, allow name servers to send information to master name servers which version of a zone they are, so they can be updated incrementally with only that information that was changed at the master name server.