ICANN participation

Extract from ICANN Bylaws

THIS EXCERPT IS INCLUDED FOR REFERENCE REGARDING THE RSSAC ONLY. THE
FULL ICANN BY-LAWS CAN BE FOUND AT THE ICANN WEB SITE.
o "(b) There shall be a DNS Root Server System Advisory Committee. The
initial chairman of the DNS Root Server System Advisory Committee shall
be appointed by the Board; subsequent chairs shall be elected by the
members of the DNS Root Server System Advisory Committee pursuant to
procedures adopted by the members. The responsibility of the Root Server
System Advisory Committee shall be to advise the Board about the
operation of the root name servers of the domain name system. The Root
Server System Advisory Committee should consider and provide advice on
the operational requirements of root name servers, including host
hardware capacities, operating systems and name server software
versions, network connectivity and physical environment. The Root Server
System Advisory Committee should examine and advise on the security
aspects of the root name server system. Further, the Root Server System
Advisory Committee should review the number, location, and distribution
of root name servers considering the total system performance,
robustness, and reliability."
Further Extracts from ICANN Bylaws: the purposes of the RSSAC are:

• o To advise the Board about the operation of the root name servers of
  the domain name system.
• o To advise the Board on the operational requirements of root name
  servers, including host hardware capacities, operating systems and name
  server software versions, network connectivity and physical environment.
• o To examine and to advise on the security aspects of the root name
  server system.
• To review the "number, location, and distribution of root name servers
  considering the total system performance, robustness, and reliability."

Extracts from the Dept of Commerce - ICANN MOU/JPA
THESE EXCERPTS ARE INCLUDED FOR REFERENCE TO THE WORK OF THE
RSSAC. FOR THE FULL DOCUMENT, PLEASE REVIEW THE ENTIRE DOC-ICANN MOU
at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/icann-memorandum.htm
Section IIB:

• "In the DNS Project, the Parties will jointly design, develop,
  and
  test the mechanisms, methods, and procedures to carry out the following
  DNS management functions:
  1. Establishment of policy for and direction of the allocation of
     IP
     number blocks;
  2. Oversight of the operation of the authoritative root server system;
  3. Oversight of the policy for determining the circumstances
     under which new top level domains would be added to the root system;

....
The Parties will jointly design, develop, and test the mechanisms,
methods, and procedures that will achieve the transition without
disrupting the functional operation of the Internet. The Parties will
also prepare a joint DNS Project Report that documents the conclusions
of the design, development, and testing."
Section VC, 4-5:
4. Collaborate on written technical procedures for operation of
the primary root server including procedures that permit
modifications, additions or deletions to the root zone file.
5. Collaborate on a study and process for making the management
of the root server system more robust and secure. This aspect of the
Project will address:

a. Operational requirements of root name servers,
including host hardware capacities, operating system and name server
software versions, network connectivity, and physical environment.
b. Examination of the security aspects of the root name
server system and review of the number, location , and distribution of
root name servers considering the total system performance;
robustness, and reliability.
c. Development of operational procedures for the root
system, including formalization of contractual relationships under
which root servers throughout the world are operated.

Section VC, 9:
9. Collaborate on the design, development and testing of a plan for
creating a process that will consider the possible expansion of the
number of gTLDs. The designed process should consider and take into
account the following:

a. The potential impact of new gTLDs on the Internet root
server system and Internet stability.