Open Root Server Network

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Open Root Server Network (ORSN) is a network of root nameservers for the Internet, operating since February 2002. Its root zone information is normally kept in synchronization with that of the network coordinated by ICANN. The networks are thus compatible, although ORSN are operated independently from ICANN. The ORSN servers are primarily placed in Europe.

The founders of ORSN are concerned that ICANN is ultimately controlled by the government of the United States. Their aim is to limit the control over the Internet that this gives, while ensuring that domain names remain unambiguous. They also expect their network to make name resolutions faster for everyone.

Several Internet service providers in Europe use ORSN as a root for their name servers. There are also public name servers that use ORSN.

ORSN has 2 operating modes: ICANN BASED and INDEPENDENT. ICANN BASED is described as the normal operating mode and involves daily synchronisation, except that removed TLDs are not removed from the ORSN root. INDEPENDENT mode has no automatic synchronisation and is activated "whenever the political situation of the world - in our opinion - makes this step necessary because the possibility of a modification and/or a downtime of the ICANN root zone exists or we do not want that our root zone will rebuild automatically."^[1]

ORSN has 13 root servers:

Letter	Operator	Location
A	Celox GmbH	Frankfurt, Germany
B	Funkfeuer	Vienna, Austria
C	KEVAG Telekom GmbH	Koblenz, Germany
D	Cyberlink Internet Services AG	Zurich, Switzerland
E	TRIERA Broadband	Maribor, Slovenia
F	Zen Systems ApS	Lyngby, Denmark
G	NFSi - Soluções Internet, Lda	Leiria, Portugal
H	Init Seven AG	Zurich, Switzerland
I	ALET.IT	Pisa, Italy (DOWN - Looking for operators)
J	ASDA	Athens, Greece
K	Titan Networks Netherlands BV	Amsterdam, Netherlands
L	Paul Vixie	San Jose, California, United States
M	Home of the Brave GmbH	Frankfurt, Germany