SRRPUB07 – Internet Domain Names for Government Entities in Texas
UNDER REVIEW
Revised May 19, 2003 Version 3.0
The Department of Information Resources (DIR) issues Standards Review and Recommendations Publications (SRRPUB) as guidelines for Texas state agencies and institutions of higher education. The original version of this guideline was published in September 1995, and is currently being revised to address changes in the use of the dot-us and dot-gov domains.
Executive Summary
Texas legislation requires that every state agency establish a Web presence and shall design the generally accessible Internet site so that it conforms to generally acceptable standards for Internet accessibility for people with disabilities. Additional requirements are covered in the Texas Administrative Code 206 State Web Sites]. Information about establishing a Website, and assistance for small agencies, are available in the World Wide Web Design Standards and Coding Guidelines.
State agencies connected to the Internet or using Internet protocols (TCP/IP) must use the Internet Domain Naming System (DNS) to associate computer names with IP addresses. Request for Comments (RFC)1480 addresses the use of the "state.tx.us" for state agencies, and this domain is managed by DIR.
For historic reasons, several Texas state agencies use the "texas.gov" domain, also managed by DIR, and may continue to maintain a texas.gov domain. Additional use under the dot-us domain, the dot-gov, and other domain names are discussed below, however each agency must consider the long-term cost associated with registering under multiple domain names (e.g., dot-tx.us, dot-com...), and the associated risks.
Recommendations
- All agency Websites should follow RFC 1480 and 1 TAC 206 State Web Sites.
- The CIO of an agency that wants to register under the tx.gov Domain, should send an e-mail request to registrar@capnet.state.tx.us with justification (e.g., the Domain name is being used by other states). The agency must maintain its primary Domain name in compliance with RFC 1480.
- Agencies that want to register under a dot-gov domain name not managed by DIR, and that requires a letter from the State CIO, should send a request with justification to dirinfo@dir.state.tx.us prior to starting the registration process with the General Services Administration.
Background
Standards
Standards for the Internet are published as Request for Comments (RFC) documents and maintained by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) at http://www.ietf.org/rfc. Specific Domain Name System (DNS) standards are specified in Internet RFC 1035 - Domain names - implementation and specification, RFC 1034 - Domain names - concepts and facilities, RFC 1480 - The US Domain, RFC 1591 - Domain Name System Structure and Delegation and, RFC 2146 - U.S. Government Internet Domain Names or their successor documents.
State Agencies and the "state.tx.us" Domain
Under RFC 1480, the domain name form/zone "state.tx.us" was reserved for the use of Texas agencies, and is currently managed by the TEXas Agency Network (TEX-AN) Network Operations Center.
Higher Education
Based on RFC 1480, four year colleges and universities should continue using the .edu domain.
Registrations for other Government Entities in Texas
Based on RFC 1480, local government entities should use the following domain registrations:
DOT-GOV Domain
In 2002, the General Services Administration (GSA) opened the dot-gov domain (e.g., texas.gov and tx.gov), to state and local governments. Both texas.gov and tx.gov have been delegated to the state CIO. At this time we do not recommend expanding the use of the texas.gov domain. However, in some cases an agency may propose using a tx.gov name for a special program. The CIO of an agency that wants to register under the tx.gov Domain, should send an e-mail request to registrar@capnet.state.tx.us with justification (e.g., the Domain name is being used by other states). The agency must maintain its primary Domain name in compliance with RFC 1480. For technical assistance, contact the CAPnet Network Operations Center (NOC) Help Desk 512-475-2432, or e-mail registrar@capnet.state.tx.us.
Agencies that want to register under a dot-gov domain name not managed by DIR, and that requires a letter from the State CIO, the agency CIO should send a request with justification to registrar@capnet.state.tx.us prior to starting the registration process with the General Services Administration. A letter from the State CIO will only be provided if the primary registration complies with RFC 1480 and the site complies with 1 TAC 206 State Web Sites.
The Use of DOT-COM, DOT-NET and Other Domain Names
Some agencies may also consider registering key names (e.g., TexasOnLine) under other domain names to protect from misrepresentation. However, each agency must consider the long term cost associated with registering under different domain names (e.g., dot-com), and the associated risk. Domain names open to the general public (dot-com, dot-us, etc...) that are not renewed are often obtained by pornographic sites. As one example, a state agency obtained a dot-com domain name for a special statewide program and many state agencies and universities provided links to the site. When the program ended the agency did not renew the special domain name, and suddenly agencies started receiving calls and messages about why their site was providing a link to pornography.
Registration Assistance
State Agencies
Registration authority for names within the .STATE.TX.US zone is with Department of Information Resources (DIR) Telecommunications Division. The registration form for state agencies can be found at: http://www.capnet.state.tx.us#regforms. Contact the CAPnet Network Operations Center (NOC) Help Desk 512-475-2432, or e-mail registrar@capnet.state.tx.us. The CAPnet NOC will provide assistance with DNS questions, on a time-available basis, pertaining to governmental agencies and entities who are in the process of registering within the STATE.TX.US zone.
Cities and Counties in the .TX.US zone.
There is no single authority responsible for registering all the Texas cities and counties in .TX.US. If your Internet Service Provider is unable to determine the proper registration authority for you, please contact the CAPnet Network Operations Center (NOC) Help Desk 512-475-2432, or e-mail [email link: registrar@capnet.state.tx.us].
Councils of Government Registering within the .COG.TX.US zone.
Councils of Government should acquire domain names within the .cog.tx.us zone. Registration for the COGs is handled by the CAPnet Network Operations Center. The registration form for Councils of Government can be found at http://www.capnet.state.tx.us#regforms.
The County Information Resources Agency (CIRA) also provides registration and hosting services for members. For additional information visit http://www.cira.state.tx.us/services.html.
Other Information and Resources
Government entities (public institutions of higher learning (e.g., state and community colleges and universities), independent school districts (e.g., public schools, grades K-12), special districts created by Texas state law (e.g., municipal water districts), city and county governments, entities owned by or a part of a city or county taxing authority (e.g., public libraries)) may use TEXAN telecommunications services. For additional information and a listing of services see http://www.dir.state.tx.us/tex-an/index.htm.
1 TAC 206 State Web Sites
See 1 TAC 206 State Web Sites
See informtion on Statewide EIR Accessibility
