Domain Name Registry A domain name registry is a database which keeps track of which domain name maps to which IP address in the domain name system on the Internet. Such a registry has two main tasks: giving out domain names under their top-level domain (TLD) to those who ask for them; and making the database of domain name registrations available to the world at large.
Registries can only operate if the top level domain they run has been delegated to them by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. Hence, there can only be one registry for each top level domain. If there is more than one index, confusion would result (as has happened to a limited extent with the .biz top level domain).
The endings of the domain name dictate which organization controls them. In practice, this is the organization that controls the name servers for that domain. Therefore ICANN has de facto control of the overall Domain Name System because it controls the root name servers. Domain Name World Wide |
