2019-07-12 Ver. 1.0

RSSAC001 Response for M-Root Operations
About This Document
ICANN RSSAC (Root Server System Advisory Committee) has published RSSAC001 in2015, which describes service expectations of Root Servers. This document describes thestatus of how M-Root server, which is jointly operated by WIDE Project and JPRS, meets
each item of expectations stated in “3. Expectations of Root server Operators” ofRSSAC001.
Note that in this document, “Root-Servers web page” refers the following URL:
https://www.root-servers.org/
while “M-Root web page” refers the following URL:
https://m.root-servers.org/

3.1 Infrastructure[E.3.1-A] Individual Root Server Operators are to publish or continue to publish
operationally relevant details of their infrastructure, including service-delivery locations,addressing information and routing (e.g., origin autonomous system) information.
The operationally relevant details of M-Root is available at the Root-Servers web page,along with other Root Servers information.
M-Root also publishes similar information at M-Root web page.
[E.3.1-B] Individual Root Servers will deliver the service in conformance to IETF
standards and requirements as described in RFC 7720 and any other IETF standardsdefined Internet Protocol as deemed appropriate.
The operation of M-Root complies with RFC 7720. The DNS service of M-Root complies
with IETF standard protocols.

3.2 Service Accuracy[E.3.2-A] Individual Root Servers will adopt or continue to implement the current DNS
protocol and associated best practices through appropriate software and infrastructure
choices.
The operation of M-Root complies with current DNS protocol and associated best current
practices by using appropriate software and hardware.
[E.3.2-B] Individual Root Servers will serve accurate and current revisions of the rootzone.
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M-Root is using the root-zone provided by RZM (Root Zone Maintainer) without anymodifications. The root-zone is delivered without significant delay by using the notification
method from the transfer servers, and the version of the zone serial is monitored to check thesynchronization of the data.
[E.3.2-C] Individual Root Servers will continue to provide “loosely coherent” service
across their infrastructure.
Each instance of M-Root uses the root-zone transferred from RZM directly or one of otherinstances who have up-to-date zone. With this structure, M-Root can provide “looselycoherent” service across its infrastructure.
[E.3.2-D] All Root Servers will continue to serve precise, accurate zones as distributed
from the Root Zone Maintainer.
By the operation described in E.3.2-A/B/C, M-Root continues to serve precise, accuratezones as distributed from RZM.

3.3 Service Availability[E.3.3-A] Individual Root Servers are to be deployed such that planned maintenance on
individual infrastructure elements is possible without any measurable loss of service
availability.
M-Root is using Anycast technology described in RFC 3258. When we perform maintenancework on one location, BGP announcement from the location will be suspended so that therouting system direct the queries to other active locations.
[E.3.3-B] Infrastructure used to deploy individual Root Servers is to be significantly
redundant, such that unplanned failures in individual components must not cause thecorresponding service to become generally unavailable to the Internet.
With Anycast technology and redundancy within a location, M-Root provides the service
when an unplanned failure happens, after a short moment which allows various systems toconverge.
[E.3.3-C] Each Root Server Operator shall publish documentation that describes theoperator’s commitment to service availability through maintenance scheduling and its
commitment to the notification of relevant operational events to the Internet community.
M-Root operator publishes the operator's commitment to service availability at “News”
section of M-Root web page. This web page includes the maintenance schedule and any
relevant events.

3.4 Service Capability[E.3.4-A] Individual Root Server Operators will make all reasonable efforts to ensure thatsufficient capacity exists in their deployed infrastructure to allow for substantial flash
crowds or denial of service (DoS) attacks.
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Each location of M-Root is designed to have substantial capacity headroom with normal
query load. However, there is no guarantee that significant level of DDoS attack won't affectthe service such as upstream network congestion.
[E.3.4-B] Each root server operator shall publish documentation on the capacity of theirinfrastructure, including details of current steady-state load and the maximum estimatedcapacity available.
M-Root operator publishes the current traffic load in M-Root web page.
Maximum estimated capacity is not published, because we do not intend to give any useful
information to the DDoS Attackers.

3.5 Operational Security[E.3.5-A] Individual Root Server Operators will adopt or continue to follow best practices
with regard to operational security in the operation of their infrastructure.
M-Root operator continues to follow the best current practices with regard to operationalsecurity by communication with related parties including other Root DNS operators andDNS software developers.
[E.3.5-B] Root Server Operators shall publish high-level business continuity plans withrespect to their Root Server infrastructure.
M-Root server is jointly operated by WIDE Project and JPRS. WIDE Project and JPRS areboth independent organizations, and have diversity in its operation and organization level.
This means that if one organization become unavailable to operate the M-Root, the otherorganization can keep the service without any service interruption.

3.6 Diversity of Implementation[E.3.6-A] Each Root Server Operator shall publish documentation that describes key
implementation choices (such as the type of DNS software used) to allow interested
members of the Internet community to assess the diversity of implementation choices
across the system as a whole.
The key implementation choices of M-Root operations are described in M-Root web page.
The implementation information is shared among Root Server Operators to maintain thediversity among the Root Server Operators.

3.7 Monitoring and Measurement[E.3.7-A] Each Root Server Operator will adopt or continue to follow best current
practices with respect to operational monitoring of elements within their infrastructure.
M-Root operator collects operational statistics described in RSSAC002v3, and the data are
published in RSSAC002 Statistics page of M-Root web page.
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To monitor the infrastructure, M-Root operator uses NOC service and our original
monitoring tools. We provide common service monitoring and check the status of zone
synchronization by SERIAL information.
[E.3.7-B] Each Root Server Operator will adopt or continue to perform measurements ofquery traffic received and shall publish statistics based on those measurements.
As described in E.3.7-A, M-Root operator publishes its RSSAC002 statistic data at M-Root
web page.

3.8 Communication[E.3.8.1-A] Individual Root Server Operators will continue to maintain functional
communication channels between each other in order to facilitate coordination andmaintain functional working relationships between technical staff.
At least one of M-Root operator organizations participated and will participates in all regularface-to-face Root Server Operators meetings. One of the high priority purposes of themeetings is to keep RSS operation stable as a whole, including maintaining availability byavoiding coincidental planned maintenance, for example.
M-Root operator organizations are able to communicate the other Root Operators throughmultiple communication channels at any moment to deal with emergency situations.
M-Root operator organizations hold weekly conference calls as well as face-to-face meetings
several times a year to synchronize various things.
[E.3.8.1-B] All communications channels are to be tested regularly.
M-Root operator organizations are regularly using multiple communication channels with its
internal meetings.
Root Server Operators are also regularly using multiple communication channels. Inaddition, alternative emergency measure is tested in the face-to-face meeting. M-Rootoperator organizations participate the test.
[E.3.8.2-A] Individual Root Server Operators shall publish administrative and operational
contact information to allow users and other interested parties to escalate technical service
concerns.
See E.3.1-A.

Version History:
2019-07-12 Ver. 1.0

Initial version published

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