Please read through for my response(s)...
I'm using the assumption that you're using the QuickStart (Reseller Web
Interface) method for registering domain names...
Jon Ribbens wrote:
>
> We have just set up as an OpenSRS RSP, after having previously always
> used Network Solutions (<spit>).
>
> The OpenSRS system appears to be very nice, but it is woefully
> under-documented. I strongly suggest that a 'guide for people who
> used netsol previously' would be a good idea.
>
> Our main points of confusion currently are:
>
> * "Contact Information"
>
> Many of the forms ask for "contact information". No explanation of
> what this means is supplied. It appears to mean "information that
> will be used for both admin contact and domain owner", but we are
> not entirely sure about that.
>
Upon initial registration through this interface "Contact Information"
becomes "Organization Contact/Registrant" and "Admin Contact"
> * OpenSRS mistakenly assumes customers control domains
>
> OpenSRS appear to assume that all customers know all about domain
> names, and wish to control the domain, edit the nameservers, etc,
> themselves. This is not the case. In practice this means that
> for domain registration, domain transfers, etc, we have to register
> the domain with all details set to ourselves, and then change the
> domain owner to be the real owner. It may be possible to get around
> this by editing the client-side scripts, but I suspect the problem
> is deeper than that since, e.g. the 'Domain Order Edit Form' for
> looking at pending orders provides no way of specifying the admin
> contact, and I would expect this form to enable editing of all
> aspects of an order.
>
This is possible to get around by editing the client-side scripts - we've
setup the default as "Owner = controller" as this works for the majority
of cases. The web based interface is meant to be limited for
registrations - it's a stop-gap to enable you to register domains while
you get the scripts up and running (which is our MUCH preferred method of
domain registration).
> * Domain management "profile"
>
> No explanation of these is given, or how they work. They appear to
> be linked to domain names (i.e. the same username at different domains
> may be different users) but also not (sometimes the same username
> at different domains may be the same user). No guidance is given as to
> how to organise the profiles. I suspect that for the ISP model which
> OpenSRS is assuming (where the customer is computer-literate and edits
> their own domains) the ISP should register all domains with a single
> profile (so they can, e.g. update the tech contact) and then create
> a sub-user for the customer, but I am only guessing.
>
Each domain registered has a username/password associated to it for
profile management. You can have one profile with many domains (by
registering a domain and associating it with a previous domain
registration - possible with the scripts and default web page) or have a
one-to-one relationship between domains and profile management
information. We've left the model open for whatever you wish to impose on
your customers - it's left wide open ... The way it's setup allows the
greatest number of iterations to allow the RSP to have as much control as
they want, and give the end user as much control as you wish them to have
as well.
> There are many other inconsistencies and confusing pages - for example,
> the "Change Ownership of Domain" page in the management interface asks
> for a username and password without any explanation of whether these are
> a new username and password, the old username and password, what
> 'changing owernship' means, etc. The RSP options are spread randomly between
> various badly-named pages - "emergency contact information" contains many
> things which are nothing of the sort, "tech contact information" links
> to a page with a different title, and no explanation is given of whether
> the "tech contact" is the tech contact for the RSP, or the default tech
> contact for domains registered through the RSP. The documentation goes
> on at length about "RCU"s, but these are not used on the site, instead
> dollar amount are used (which is much more sensible anyway). There doesn't
> appear to be any information on how the contacts are used, in particular
> for renewals - does OpenSRS contact someone? If so, who? When? How?
Yes, Change Ownership of Domain is somewhat ambiguous. The subtext DOES
say "You may create a new profile for this domain or move it to a
different profile you own" I agree that instructions for doing so aren't
well articulated. We're working on an FAQ for each specific interface to
help with common questions (i.e. what does "Change Ownership of Domain"
mean, and "How do move domains into/away from other profiles").
"Emergency Contact Information" has (firstly) a place where we must get
verifiable contact information from you (the database is populated
initially with your Technical Contact Information). The rest is just so
you can specify different email addresses for different system messages -
some of these are also configurable elsewhere (i.e. Payment Email).
The description of what "Technical Contact Information" *is* is included
in the documentation available on the website - it explains much of this
interface.
RCU's *are* used by the site - as well as Dollar amounts. One RCU is a
domain transaction (i.e. transfer, renewal, new registration)
Renewals are on the way - more info to come *my apologies for this*
>
> Technically, OpenSRS appears to be great. But please, get someone who
> knows how to document things to (a) go through your web forms making
> them intelligible and (b) write some proper documentation! I expect
> someone who has been using the system for a while finds it all very
> intuitive and obvious, but to a newcomer it is extremely difficult
> to use (and by this I mean a newcomer to OpenSRS, not a newcomer to
> managing domains).
>
We're releasing a new version (very shortly) with MUCH improved
documentation, as well as some minor enhancements to the various
interfaces - including removing some ambiguity from the functionality.
I understand your comments and will dutifully pass on those that warrant
extra attention (for upcoming/planned releases).
As an aside - you should have seen this thing in January when we first
released it *grin*
> Cheers
>
> Jon
--
Charles Daminato
OpenSRS Support Manager
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
