[registrars] Consolodation of SRS interfaces for new gTLDs?

[Mike Lampson IARegistry <lampson@iaregistry.com>]

Hello all,

Now that ICANN has picked new gTLDs and the companies that will 
operate them, is there anything we can do as a constituency to 
press these new Registries to consolidate their multiple SRS 
protocols into a single new protocol?

Of the 6 new gTLDs that indicated their SRS implementation, 5 
different interfaces were listed.  Add to that VeriSign's RRP 
interface and the multiple interfaces to the various ccTLDs and 
the implementation, maintenance and support costs for Registrars 
is going up dramatically.

There has been an informal group, led by Scott Hollenbeck from 
VeriSign GRS, that has been working on a standard SRS 
implementation.  The requirements document for this implementation 
is published as an IETF draft at
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-hollenbeck-grrp-reqs-05.txt

Just prior to the ICANN conference, Scott published the first 
drafts of an 'Extensible Provisioning Protocol' (EPP) as an 
implementation based on the Generic RRP requiremenets.  The EPP 
is implemented using XML.

Discussion regarding the requirements and EPP drafts has occurred 
on the RRP mailing list.  Archives of this mailing list can be 
found at http://www.nsiregistry.net/maillist/rrp/

I would like the constituency to draft a STRONG recommendation to 
ICANN that all new gTLDS, or at least those that plan to use 
ICANN-accredited Registrars, use a common SRS implementation 
*prior* to becoming operational.  This should be part of their 
contracts with ICANN.

Scott has arranged a BoF session at the IETF conference in San 
Diego (scheduled Dec. 10-15) to discuss setting up an official 
IETF working group to implement a common SRS.  I suggest that 
Registrars also participate so that our interests are adequately 
represented in whatever system is defined, whether the EPP, 
something from one of the new gTLD operators or something
entirely different.

Thanks,

Mike Lampson
The Registry at Info Avenue, LLC
(803) 802-6584