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(Letter from Verisign below)
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To All Registrars:
Summary
VeriSign Global Registry Services (VeriSign GRS), after consultation
with ICANN, will temporarily cease batch releases of deleted com, .net
and ..org domain names to assure continued service quality within the
Shared Registration System (SRS). Batch releases are made by the
registry five days after deletions by registrars outside of grace
periods.
Why We Are Doing This
This interim action was prompted by extraordinary loads placed on the
SRS arising from several registrars attempting to register newly
released domainnames through abusive use of the SRS. In recent weeks
abuse of the system by a few registrars has escalated to the point
where other registrars have been seriously impacted in their ability to
transact normal business activity.
The abuse has been characterized by:
More than 400 million check commands within a six-hour window to register
a few hundred desirable names each morning.
Single registrars executing as many as 1500 attempts per second.
The same registrar sending a check command for the same name in excess
of 1000 times per minute over extended periods of time.
Registrars hoarding connections (grabbing all connections up to their
limit) and, with the exception of the describe command, executing
single-digit numbers of transactions until they are prepared to execute
pre-staged batch jobs that will invade the system at rates noted in
excess of 100,000 per minute.
Registrars executing in excess of 100,000 check commands for each name
successfully registered, compared to a typical ratio of well under 1,000
check commands for each name successfully registered.
Registrars who typically use less than 10 connections throughout the
day, then increase that connection count to a triple-digit number
Registrars who clearly execute an automated check process (i.e.,
checks for the same names at rates in excess of 1000 per minute)
Registrars whose typical usage patterns suggest the need for a
single-digit number of connections, and who then increase their
connection count by up to 200 times without a corresponding increase in
productive activity (i.e., a registrar who hoards connections in an
apparent attempt to deny others)
Many registrars have reported that the resulting effects on SRS
availability have made it difficult or impossible to conduct their
normal business.
Implementation Details
Beginning immediately, names targeted for the batch delete process will be
held in "registry hold" status in a special state of "Delete Pending."
These names, after the normal five-day "Delete Pending Period," will no
longer be subject to recovery by the deleting registrar or registrant.
They will be released once a satisfactory plan is implemented to return
them to the pool of available names under which all registrars receive
equivalent access as required by VeriSign GRS's registry agreement with
ICANN.
VeriSign GRS will immediately begin working with ICANN and the registrar
community to review possible remedies, devise a satisfactory plan and
implement that plan to better accommodate the competition for
newly-available domain names while at the same time ensuring continued
high service quality for registrars.
It is important to note that the current number of connections and
bandwid this sufficient to satisfy all reasonable attempts to conduct
normal registration business, both now and in the foreseeable future.
As an example, the registry is easily capable of sustaining 6x growth
in our database transactions over the typical peak workload rates even
without adding additional hardware. Further, until the most recent
increase in demand for connections, the registry consistently had a
pool of available connections that was twice the size of anticipated
demand.
If you require additional information, please contact Customer Service
at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Best Regards,
Melissa B.
Customer Service
VeriSign Global Registry Services
www.verisign-grs.com
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
