IANA

Q: What is IANA?

Internet Assigned Numbers Authority.

What is IANA?

IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) is the organization responsible for coordinating the global allocation of critical internet resources. These include the DNS root zone, IP address allocation, and protocol parameter assignments. Operating under ICANN since 1998, IANA ensures the stable and secure operation of the internet's unique identifier systems that enable global communication.

IANA's Core Responsibilities

1. DNS Root Zone Management

Maintains the authoritative root zone file
Coordinates TLD delegations to registries
Processes root zone change requests
Manages root server letter assignments (a.root-servers.net through m.root-servers.net)

2. IP Address Allocation

Allocates IP blocks to Regional Internet Registries (RIRs)
Manages IPv4 and IPv6 address space
Coordinates special-purpose address assignments
Maintains global address allocation policies

3. Protocol Parameters

Assigns port numbers (HTTP=80, HTTPS=443)
Manages protocol identifier registries
Coordinates with IETF on new assignments
Maintains official parameter registries

IANA and the DNS Hierarchy

IANA (Root Zone Management) │ ├── .com Registry (Verisign) │ └── Registrars → Domain owners │ ├── .org Registry (PIR) │ └── Registrars → Domain owners │ ├── .uk Registry (Nominet) │ └── Registrars → Domain owners │

└── Other TLDs...

Regional Internet Registries (RIRs)

IANA allocates IP address blocks to five RIRs:

RIR	Region	Coverage
ARIN	North America	US, Canada, Caribbean
RIPE NCC	Europe	Europe, Middle East, Central Asia
APNIC	Asia-Pacific	Asia, Australia, Pacific
LACNIC	Latin America	Central/South America, Caribbean
AFRINIC	Africa	All African nations

IANA Databases and Registries

Root Zone Database

Lists all TLDs with their registry operators, nameservers, and DNSSEC status.

WHOIS Service

Provides authoritative TLD registration information:

whois -h whois.iana.org .com

Protocol Registries

Port number assignments
Media types (MIME types)
Character sets
HTTP status codes
URI schemes

Key IANA Functions

TLD Delegation

When a new TLD is created:

1. Application submitted to ICANN

2. Technical evaluation completed

3. IANA coordinates root zone update

4. TLD begins resolving globally

Root Zone Updates

Changes processed via automated system
Cryptographically signed with DNSSEC
Distributed to root servers worldwide
Typically propagate within 24-48 hours

IANA Stewardship Transition

In 2016, IANA stewardship transitioned from US government oversight to the global multistakeholder community:

NTIA contract with ICANN ended
New accountability mechanisms established
Global community oversight implemented
Operational continuity maintained

Accessing IANA Resources

Resource	URL
Root Zone Database	iana.org/domains/root/db
TLD WHOIS	whois.iana.org
Protocol Registries	iana.org/protocols
Time Zone Database	iana.org/time-zones

IANA remains the foundational coordination body ensuring the internet's naming and numbering systems operate consistently and securely across the global network.