Registering Domains

The University of Illinois has a vested interest in making sure that its name and variants of its name are used in a manner consistent with the University�s purpose and image. To that end, it protects its name in the Internet-space, through a mechanism knows as the Domain Name System (DNS).

DNS is a database used to map between hostnames and IP addresses, analogous to The White House and 1600 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C., denoting the same place. DNS allows clients and servers to communicate across the internet by name rather than by address. The owner of a domain is responsible for maintaining a database of machines within its domain and for responding to requests about the domain from others.

It is vital that there be one authoritative source for a domain, because duplication of names or addresses can result in misdirected email and connections. The table below lists the person ultimately responsible for inclusion within the following domains.

* indicates any prefix or suffix

Each Urbana unit has a unitname.uiuc.edu domain name listing. All other domain name listings must be approved by a unit head before submission to the Campus Host Manager. The Campus Host Manager will then obtain the necessary approvals from the Responsible Office before the Domain Name is registered. This approval will ensure that the proper suffix is used, e.g., edu, org, com, and that the organization is placed within the correct domain, e.g., uiuc.edu, illinois.edu, uillinois.edu, uofillinois.edu.

For details about registering a domain, see DNS documentation.

Reviewed and Approved: March 21, 2003
Contact Information: Office of the CIO