introduction - nt.gov.au web viewwhere a local government name consists of more than one word the...

StandardInformation Communications Technology

Domain Name Management

January 2013Version 3.3

Department ofCorporate and Information Services

Document Control

Document detailsDocument Title Domain Name Management Standard

Contact details Information Communication Technology (ICT) Policy and Strategy Division, Department of Corporate and Information Services (DCIS), Northern Territory Government (NTG).

File name Ict_it_domain_name_management_standards_v3.3

Version Version 3.3

Date issued January 2013

Approved by NTG OIC Forum: 27 October 2007

Change HistoryVersion Date Author Change details2.03 December 2007 K. Kannoorpatti More comprehensive.

Allows for future expansion.

Complies with AGIMO requirements.

3.0 June 2011 K. McCarthy Changes to ITSU responsibilities.

Changes to 5th Level Domain.

3.1 September 2012 R. Carroll Change to Role of ICTIASU. Changed sections 1.7 and 8.1.

Minor textual and formatting changes.

3.2 November 2012 K. McCarthy Added Section 7.2.4.1.

3.3 January 2013 K. McCarthy Updated government names


Table of Contents

1 Introduction.................................................................................................................51.1 Aim of Standards...............................................................................................51.2 Role of ICTIASU as nt.gov.au domain registrar................................................51.3 Role of DNS Service provider...........................................................................61.4 Eligibility for nt.gov.au domain name................................................................61.5 NTG domain name format.................................................................................61.6 Delegated local government domain name space management......................71.7 Use of other top and second level domains by NTG agencies.........................71.7.1 Domain name hijacking.....................................................................................71.8 Acronyms, terms, and organisation syntax used in this document...................81.8.1 Acronyms..........................................................................................................81.8.2 Domain name levels..........................................................................................81.9 Authority and applicability..................................................................................9

2 Domain name space registration and audit...........................................................102.1 NTG domain name space management.........................................................102.1.1 Domain name registration...............................................................................102.1.2 Domain name database..................................................................................102.1.3 Domain name audit.........................................................................................112.2 Delegated local government domain name space management....................112.2.1 Domain name registration...............................................................................112.2.2 Domain name database..................................................................................112.2.3 Domain name audit.........................................................................................11

3 Domain digital certificate management..................................................................123.1 NTG Certificate Authority................................................................................123.2 External Certificate Authority...........................................................................12

4 Web domain standards.............................................................................................134.1 Principles of NTG Web application and service organisation.........................134.1.1 www.sitename.nt.gov.au format......................................................................134.1.2 Intranet format.................................................................................................134.1.2.1 General intranet sites..................................................................................134.1.2.2 Staff-only intranet sites................................................................................144.2 Web domain name and structure standard.....................................................144.2.1 Sitename.........................................................................................................144.2.2 Agency............................................................................................................154.2.3 Application.......................................................................................................154.2.4 Organisation....................................................................................................15

5 Non-web application domain standards.................................................................165.1 Non-web application domain name standard..................................................165.1.1 Application.......................................................................................................165.1.2 Organisation....................................................................................................165.2 Requirements for non-web applications using domain names........................16

6 Server domain standards.........................................................................................176.1 Server versus application domain names.......................................................176.2 Server domain name standard........................................................................176.2.1 Server..............................................................................................................176.2.2 Organisation....................................................................................................176.3 Delegated server domain management..........................................................17


Information Communication Technology Domain Name Management Standard

7 E-mail domain standards.........................................................................................197.1 NTG messaging system versus server and application e-mail addresses......197.2 E-mail domain name and e-mail address standard.........................................197.2.1 Server..............................................................................................................197.2.2 Application.......................................................................................................197.2.3 Organisation....................................................................................................197.2.4 Generic and Function......................................................................................197.2.4.1 Email Rules.................................................................................................207.2.5 First, Initial, and Last.......................................................................................217.2.6 LGaddress.......................................................................................................217.3 Non-Conforming addresses............................................................................227.4 Requirements for e-mail services....................................................................22

8 DNS environment management...............................................................................238.1 Domain Registry Service.................................................................................23

Department ofCorporate and Information Services 4


1 Introduction

1.1 Aim of StandardsAGIMO (Australian Government Information Management Office) is responsible for the management of the gov.au domain name space. AGIMO delegates management of the nt.gov.au domain name space to Northern Territory Government (NTG), who have a responsibility to manage it in an efficient manner. This document details standards for the management of the nt.gov.au domain name space for NTG, related organisations, and qualifying NT local governments.

The document deals with:

Management of the nt.gov.au 3rd, 4th and 5th level domain name space (3LD, 4LD and 5LD, see 1.8.2 Domain name levels)

Operation of Domain Name Server (DNS) services.

Delegation of management authority for some 4LD domain name spaces in the nt.gov.au domain name space.

Domain and e-mail naming standards.

Standards for applications and services that use an nt.gov.au domain name to deliver end user functions.

The standards are intended to promote consistency and best practice in the organisation of NTG services that use domain names, and to manage the NTG DNS environment in an efficient manner. Due to usability issues and recommended best practices for government internet sites the use of any 5th level domain is discouraged except for approved agency SharePoint sites, intranet application sites and local government sites.

1.2 Role of ICTIASU as nt.gov.au domain registrarICTIASU (Information Communication Technology Infrastructure Architecture and Security Unit) act as registrar for the nt.gov.au domain name space and are responsible for implementing this standard.

The responsibilities of the registrar include:

Setting nt.gov.au domain name space policy, with the cooperation of AGIMO and other interested parties.

Setting technical standards for the management of the nt.gov.au DNS environment.

Ensuring that NTG comply with AGIMO policies and standards for management of the gov.au domain name space.

Maintenance of the registration of the nt.gov.au 3LD with AGIMO and AGIMO’s service providers.

Management of the nt.gov.au domain name registration database and audit processes.

Delegating management of 4LD nt.gov.au domain name spaces when required.



Forwarding all internet DN requests to Data Centre Services (DCS) for redirection.

Ensuring there are no conflicting domain names before approving a URL. A conflicting domain name is a domain name that exists or is very similar to a domain name that already exists within the nt.gov.au domain.

1.3 Role of DNS Service providerThe DNS Service Provider manages the nt.gov.au DNS environment and has some responsibilities listed in this standard.

The DNS Service Provider is currently the NTG Network Management Service Provider.

The responsibilities of the DNS Service Provider include:

Implementing new domain names, changing and deleting old domain names as required and assisting ICTIASU in conducting periodic audits of its domain name spaces.

Providing support for domain names for local government and other NT users.

Making changes to domain names when requested by the ICTIASU.

Implementing and distributing external security certificates as obtained by the NTG.

1.4 Eligibility for nt.gov.au domain nameThe following groups are eligible to use an nt.gov.au domain name:

NTG agencies.

NTG owned businesses and related organisations.

NT local governments and related organisations such as LGANT.

Service providers to any of these groups, but only for use in the provision of services contracted by the groups. These services may be targeted at the general public or at the groups themselves.

1.5 NTG domain name formatWhen a domain name in the format of www.sitename.nt.gov.au is requested, the following domains and redirects should also be set up:

http://www.sitename.nt.gov.au

sitename.nt.gov.au

www.nt.gov.au/sitename

nt.gov.au/sitename

Contact DTF Data Centre Services to set up any redirects.

1.6 Delegated local government domain name space management ICTIASU may delegate the management of 4LD nt.gov.au domain name spaces for NT local governments to the bodies themselves, or to LGANT on their behalf.



The standards which apply to ICTIASU managed domain name spaces must also be applied consistently across all delegated local government 4LD name spaces.

Delegated local governments will appoint 4LD registrars, who will be made known to ICTIASU as a contact for domain name space issues.

Delegated local government 4LD names will consist of the normal geographical name of the city, town, or council. For example: darwin, alicesprings, or coxpeninsula. Underscores, hyphens or other separators are not to be used in NTG domain names. Where a local government name consists of more than one word the words must be concatenated in the domain name. For example:

http://www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au is an allowable NTG domain name.

www.alice-springs.nt.gov.au or www.alice_springs.nt.gov.au are not allowable NTG domain names.

1.7 Use of other top and second level domains by NTG agenciesNTG agencies should implement and identify services with a nt.gov.au domain name. This identifies them to the public as being “official”, and enables them to integrate with other NTG services in a coherent manner. nt.gov.au domain names are free to register and do not expire.

Commercial domain names in other name spaces eg .com or .com.au, should only be used where the services being provided are commercial in nature and need be seen to be independent of government. If agencies do register outside of the nt.gov.au domain, they should also register, but not activate, the nt.gov.au equivalent, protecting the domain name from being used elsewhere.

Where a commercial domain name is required, it must be obtained from a commercial registrar accredited by auDA (http://www.auda.org.au). It is recommended that both com and com.au variations should be considered in order to reduce the likelihood of domain name hijacking. ICTIASU needs to be notified of any commercial domain registrations so they can reserve the url with the extension nt.gov.au and also record all NTG commercial sites.

1.7.1 Domain name hijackingDomain name registration in the nt.gov.au name space is strictly controlled and only eligible organisations are able to register domain names in nt.gov.au name space with the approval of the ICTIASU.

Where a third party is found to have registered a domain name which could be mistaken for an NTG site, for example www.ntgov.com.au or www.ntpolice.com.au ICTIASU should be contacted. In such instances ICTIASU will work with auDA or other relevant authorities to initiate dispute proceedings to deregister such names. It is impractical for NTG agencies to register every variation of a domain name in the commercial domain name space as it is not possible cover every variation.



1.8 Acronyms, terms, and organisation syntax used in this document

1.8.1 AcronymsThe following acronyms are used in this document:

Acronym Full NameAGIMO Australian Government Information Management Office

auDA .au Domain Administration Ltd

CA Certificate Authority

DCIS Department of Corporate and Information Services

DCS Data Centre Services

DN Domain Name

DNS Domain Name Server

ICTIASU ICT Infrastructure Architecture Security Unit

LGANT Local Government Association of the Northern Territory

NTG Northern Territory Government

RAS Remote Access Service

RFC Request For Comment

1.8.2 Domain name levelsThe classifications of domain name levels are as follows:

Levels DescriptionTop Level Domain (TLD)

The TLD refers to the ‘.au’ in the domain name, which depicts the URL’s origin. au = Australia

2nd level The 2nd level refers to the ‘.gov’ in the domain name. Other 2nd level domain names are: .com; .edu; .net; .org

3rd level The 3rd level domain is the name directly left of the 2nd level. For example in http://www.nt.gov.au, ‘nt’ is the 3rd level domain name.

4th level The 4th level domain is the name directly left of the 3rd level domain name. For example:

‘business’ is the 4th level in: http://www.business.nt.gov.au;

‘health’ is the 4th level in: http://www.health.nt.gov.au; and

‘ntgbar’ is the 4th level in ‘ntgbar.nt.gov.au

5th level The 5th level domain is the name directly left of the 4th level domain name. For example:

‘mail’ is the 5th level in mail.darwin.nt.gov.au



1.9 Authority and applicabilityThis standard has been approved by the NTG Information Management Committee and applies to all providers of services implemented using or identified by an nt.gov.au domain name.



2 Domain name space registration and auditThe NTG and delegated domain name spaces must have registration processes, audit processes, and supporting domain name databases.

2.1 NTG domain name space managementICTIASU will manage the nt.gov.au domain name space for NTG agencies and will also manage 4LD names for delegated local governments, unless the management has been officially delegated to local government.

2.1.1 Domain name registrationRegistration of and changes to names in the nt.gov.au domain name space is strictly controlled. With the exception of delegated server and local government 5LD names, all names must be approved by ICTIASU. ICTIASU will work with the DNS Service Provider to provision approved domain names.

Applications for nt.gov.au domain names by users of the NTG network can be made using the Request Application (http://intranet.nt.gov.au/ntg/bizmail/dn_req.shtml). Where the Request Application is not available, applications can be e-mailed to ICTIASU ([email protected]) and should include the following information:

Requested domain name.

Host IP address.

Expiry Date (if applicable).

List of services that will use the domain name, such as web, FTP, e-mail, etc. or delegation information.

Type of site: Internet or Intranet.

Name of requesting organisation, with evidence that the organisation is eligible for an nt.gov.au domain name.

Administration contact details, including name, position, phone number, and e-mail address.

Information about the purpose that the domain name will be used for.

There are no costs associated with the request or maintenance of an nt.gov.au domain name.

2.1.2 Domain name database Service provider will maintain a database containing details of non-delegated nt.gov.au domain names, including local government 4LD names. The domain name database will contain the following information:

Domain name.

IP address.

Delegation information.

Internet or Intranet use.

Web, non-web, server, or e-mail use.



Review (every 5 years).

Expiry date (if applicable for campaigns).

Administrative contact details.

2.1.3 Domain name auditAt this time nt.gov.au domain names do not expire. ICTIASU will audit the domain name database every five years to identify:

Domain names that no longer have an operational service associated with them. These will be deleted.

Services that do not comply with naming, structure, or technical standards. These will be corrected or deleted.

2.2 Delegated local government domain name space management Delegated local government 4LD name spaces will be managed to the same standards as applied to the non-delegated NTG name space and will be consistent across local governments. This includes:

2.2.1 Domain name registrationThe delegated local government will establish a domain name registration and change process.

2.2.2 Domain name databaseThe delegated local government will maintain a database with details of their 5LD names. The domain name database will contain the following information:

Domain name.

IP address.

Internet or Intranet use.

Web, non-web, server, or e-mail use.

Review or expiry date, if applicable.

2.2.3 Domain name auditnt.gov.au domain names do not expire. The delegated local government will audit their domain name database on an annual basis to identify:

Domain names that no longer have an operational service associated with them. These will be deleted.

Services that do not comply with naming, structure, or technical standards. These will be corrected or deleted.



3 Domain digital certificate managementMany domain applications and services use digital certificates to enable SSL encryption or to establish trust relationships. These digital certificates must be issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA), who will verify that the person obtaining the certificate is authorised to use the domain name for which the certificate is being requested.

Digital certificates may be obtained from two sources:

3.1 NTG Certificate AuthorityData Centre Services (DCS) manage a CA for internal NTG use. NTG computers are configured to trust the DCS issued digital certificates and so these can be used for intranet web sites, RAS services, and similar applications that are used only by NTG staff, or by NTG staff and a small number of external users.

3.2 External Certificate AuthorityApplications and services used by the general public require digital certificates that are issued by a public CA. NTG have a corporate agreement with a certificate vendor, Thawte. ICTIASU act as the administrative contact for obtaining these certificates.

Local government may obtain digital certificates from the vendor of their choice. Vendors will need to contact NTG to verify that the local government is authorised to use the domain name for which the certificate is being requested. Alternately, ICTIASU can organise certificates from NTG’s vendor on behalf of local government.

The costs as levied by Thawte must be paid by the requester of the certificates. At this time all purchases are made online from Thawte (www.thawte.com), an overseas company, and hence there is no GST levied on the purchases. ICTIASU does not issue invoices for the purchases and an online receipt from Thawte will be forwarded to the certificate requestor.



4 Web domain standards Web applications and services that are used by NTG staff, local government staff, or the general public are accessible using a web browser. Effective naming and structural organisation of web applications implemented using or identified by nt.gov.au domain names is important in order to promote consistent and predictable access to those applications.

The section deals with the naming and structuring of web applications and services.

4.1 Principles of NTG Web application and service organisation

4.1.1 www.sitename.nt.gov.au formatWhen a request for a domain name for the above format is made, domain name of the format of sitename.nt.gov.au will also be registered. Use of this format is encouraged for special campaigns.

Some of these campaigns are of shorter duration and others may be have a prolonged duration term.

Domain names that are of general nature that reflect the function carried out by an agency preferably should not be registered in this format. Such domain names are to be registered only under compelling needs.

Departmental names are usually presented as department.nt.gov.au.

For example: dlp.nt.gov.au; nt.gov.au/dlp

Use of departmental names in this format should be kept at a minimum as urls should be service orientated.

Domain names registered in this format will need to have redirects set up in the format www.nt.gov.au/sitename and nt.gov.au/sitename. These redirects are set up by DTF DCS and the requestor must contact DTF DCS to request the setup of redirects.

4.1.2 Intranet formatThe NTG intranet sites are divided as

Sites that all agencies can access (General intranet sites)

Sites that are accessible to only the staff of an agency (Staff-only intranet sites).

4.1.2.1 General intranet sitesNTG Intranet sites will be identified by the following domain names, without addition of other domain name elements:

intranet.nt.gov.au/sitename for the General NTG Intranet.

For example:

intranet.nt.gov.au/training

intranet.nt.gov.au/health



4.1.2.2 Staff-only intranet sitesNTG staff-only intranet sites will be identified by the following domain names, without addition of other domain name elements:

internal.nt.gov.au/agency

Some examples of this are

internal.nt.gov.au/dtf

internal.nt.gov.au/dcm

4.2 Web domain name and structure standardFor NTG:Internet: www.sitename.nt.gov.au

sitename.nt.gov.auwww.nt.gov.au/sitename

nt.gov.au/sitename

Intranet: intranet.nt.gov.au/sitename

Intranet Staff only: internal.nt.gov.au/agency/staff

internal.nt.gov.au/agency/staff

Application: application.nt.gov.auwww.application.nt.gov.au

For delegated local government:Internet: www.organisation.nt.gov.au/sitename

Intranet: intranet.organisation.nt.gov.au/sitename

Application: Application.organisation.nt.gov.au

4.2.1 SitenameThe element ‘sitename’ is meant for the following purposes:

Promotional campaigns with their own branding.

Important special events with their own branding.

Agency intranet corporate use.

‘Sitename’ will comply with the naming standards listed below:

Agency names are discouraged in general intranet sites but permitted in staff only intranet sites.

The names will consist of alphanumeric characters, but will not start with a number, and will not contain underscore characters.

The use of acronyms will be avoided unless they are in widespread use and are unambiguous.



The use of words or acronyms, unless they are in widespread use and are unambiguous, that could be confused with commercial bodies, other jurisdictions, geographical place names, and people will be avoided.

Names will conform with normal English spelling, grammar, and syntax.

Names are likely to be more useable if they are of a reasonable length, and should not exceed 12 characters. The total length of a web application domain name may never exceed 50 characters in total.

4.2.2 AgencyThis is used in staff only intranet sites. Where agency names are used in domain names, consideration must be given to the fact that the agency names may change due to restructure or for other reasons. When such changes occur, links containing web addresses with old agencies names will break.

4.2.3 ApplicationThe element ‘application’ identifies an infrastructure or business application. The names will suggest the function of the application, or be the common name of the application. For example: mercury.

Application names will consist of alphanumeric characters, but will not start with a number, and will not contain underscore characters.


The use of words or acronyms that could be confused with commercial bodies, other jurisdictions, geographical place names, and people will be avoided.


Names are likely to be more useable if they are of a reasonable length, and should not exceed 12 characters. The total length of a web application domain name must never exceed 50 characters in total.

Application names that express a value judgement or a political statement will not be permitted.

4.2.4 OrganisationThe element ‘organisation’ describes a delegated NT local government 4LD nt.gov.au name. For example: alicesprings.

The element “intranet” describes a local government Intranet domain name prefix. Local governments may decide the format and organisation of their own Intranet sites. An example would be intranet.alicesprings.nt.gov.au.



5 Non-web application domain standards Non-web applications are applications and services that are used by NTG staff, local government staff, or the general public and accessible using software other than a web browser or an e-mail client. This might include RAS services, FTP services, or a business application with its own client software. Effective naming of non-web applications implemented using or identified by nt.gov.au domain names is important in order to promote consistent and predictable access to those applications.

For example: access.nt.gov.au identifies NTG’s RAS service. It uses its own client software rather than a web browser. The domain name is similar to that for a Web application or service.

The section deals with the naming of non-web applications.

5.1 Non-web application domain name standardFor NTG:

application.nt.gov.au

For delegated local government:

application.organisation.nt.gov.au

5.1.1 ApplicationThe element ‘application’ identifies an infrastructure or business application.The names will suggest the function of the application, or be the common name of the application. For example: access.

Application names will consist of alphanumeric characters, but will not start with a number, and will not contain underscore characters.


The use of words or acronyms that could be confused with commercial bodies, other jurisdictions, geographical place names, and people will be avoided.


Names are likely to be more useable if they are of a reasonable length, and should not exceed 12 characters. The total length of a non-web application domain name may never exceed 50 characters in total.

Application names that express a value judgement or a political statement will not be permitted.


5.2 Requirements for non-web applications using domain namesNon-web applications implemented using or identified by an nt.gov.au domain name must meet NTG technical standards for infrastructure or business applications, as appropriate.



6 Server domain standardsServer domain names are used to identify servers for management purposes. They are generally not used by non-IT staff. Effective naming of servers identified by nt.gov.au domain names is important in order to promote consistent server and infrastructure management.

The section deals with the naming of servers.

6.1 Server versus application domain namesServer domain names may be the same as the application or service hosted on the server, if there is only one application or service hosted. In this case, the domain name will likely be used to identify services to non-ICT staff and therefore must meet the standards for web or non-web applications, including the requirement for ICTIASU approval.

However a server may have a name that is different to any of the applications or services hosted. In this case, the server domain name is used to identify the server to ICT staff, while non-ICT staff would use application or service domain names.

6.2 Server domain name standardFor NTG:

server.nt.gov.au


server.organisation.nt.gov.au

6.2.1 ServerThe element ‘server’ describes the name of a server. Service providers, NTG agencies, and local governments will each maintain an agreed naming standard for their servers. The names will suggest the function of the server. The names will consist of alphanumeric characters, but will not start with a number, and will not contain underscore characters.


6.3 Delegated server domain managementICTIASU may delegate the right to create, change, and delete NTG server domain names to NTG’s main ICT service providers. These service providers will maintain an agreed naming standard for their servers. The naming standard must be approved by ICTIASU. Provided the naming standard is complied with and the server name is used only to identify services only to ICT staff, then the service provider is authorised to deal directly with the DNS Service Provider for domain name issues.

The owner of the agreed naming standard will request the names.

The server service provider will maintain a database with details of their server domain names. The domain name database will contain the following information:

Domain name.



IP address.

Location of the server in the network core, a network segment, or a DMZ.

Review (every year).

Expiry date (if applicable for campaigns).

Administrative contact details.

At this time nt.gov.au domain names do not expire. The server service providers will audit their domain name database on an annual basis. This audit will review all listed server domain names and all obsolete names will be deleted.



7 E-mail domain standards E-mail address and domain names are used to identify NTG staff, local government staff, servers, and applications for the purposes of sending and receiving e-mail. Effective naming of e-mail users identified by nt.gov.au domain names is important in order to promote consistent and predictable e-mail access and addressing.

The section deals with the naming and addressing of e-mail.

7.1 NTG messaging system versus server and application e-mail addressesMost NTG e-mail addresses will be hosted by the NTG Messaging Service Provider. These addresses will be defined using the nt.gov.au domain name without the addition of other domain name elements.

There is also a need for applications and servers to send and receive e-mail. These e-mail addresses will be managed outside of the Messaging Service Provider infrastructure but will interface to it using an approved message relay. These application and server e-mail addresses will be defined with the server or application name as part of the domain name. The use of the extended domain name means that there is no overlap between these e-mail addresses and those in the service provider messaging system. However, application and server owners are still required to define e-mail addresses that comply with these standards.

7.2 E-mail domain name and e-mail address standardFor NTG:

generic [.function]@server. Or application.nt.gov.au

generic [.function] or first [initial] [email protected]


LGaddress@ [server. Or application.] organisation.nt.gov.au

Non-server users of the NTG e-mail system will be identified by the nt.gov.au domain name without additional elements.

7.2.1 ServerThe element ‘server’ describes the domain name of a server and is inherited from the server domain standard.

7.2.2 ApplicationThe element ‘application’ describes the domain name of an application and is inherited from the non-web application domain standard.


7.2.4 Generic and FunctionThe elements ‘generic’ and ‘function’ describe a generic e-mail address that is used by a work unit rather than by an individual. Such an address will normally be used to send and receive e-mail related strictly to the operation of the work unit. This is useful for



publicising to the general public, for ensuring anonymity when dealing with the general public, for ensuring continuity in the event of staff changes, and for allowing multiple staff members to share access to work-related e-mail.

The element ‘generic’ will be a word or words that describe the purpose or user of the e-mail address. It will consist of alphabetic and possibly numeric characters. The use of acronyms will be avoided unless they are in widespread use and are unambiguous. The use of words or acronyms that could be confused with commercial bodies, other jurisdictions, geographical place names, and people will be avoided. Underscore in email addresses must be avoided as such characters will not be visible when word processing programs underline email addresses.

The ‘generic’ component of a generic e-mail address will normally be concatenated with a period and a ‘function’ element indicating which NTG organisational function the e-mail address is allocated to. This is to avoid confusion created when allowing the use of similar generic e-mail addresses by different agencies. For example: [email protected] and [email protected]. Whole of government functions will be indicated by a ‘function’ of ‘ntg’. For example: [email protected].

However, there is a need for some e-mail addresses to be independent of any agency or organisational function e.g. [email protected]. The NTG Messaging Service Provider may approve the use of a ‘generic’ element without an associated ‘function’ element, but will refer uses that they feel are not appropriate or that are ambiguous to ICTIASU.

7.2.4.1 Email RulesThe following rules also apply:

All generic emails are not to include the agency acronym, if possible. For example: [email protected] is to be [email protected] exception is where the agency acronym is used to identify the email’s source. For example: [email protected];

All email distribution list are to commence with the agency acronym. For example: [email protected]; and



All email distributions lists are to populate the email properties ‘Notes’ field (see Figure 2.1) with the following (in order):

o Comment: ‘all changes to the dynamic query are to be requested by the Agency IT Manager’; then

o The dynamic query.

Figure 2.1: email properties

7.2.5 First, Initial, and LastThe elements ‘first’, ‘initial’, and ‘last’ describe the e-mail address of an individual e-mail user. An individual e-mail address will normally consist of the individual’s ordinary first and family names separated by a period. For example: [email protected]. Where there is more than one person with the same first and family names, the second and any subsequent e-mail users will be distinguished by the addition of their middle initial (or, in extremity, a random alphabetic character or number) concatenated to the end of their first name. For example: [email protected].

7.2.6 LGaddressThe element ‘LGaddress’ describes a local government e-mail address. Local governments may decide the format of their own e-mail addresses, both for individuals and for generic e-mail users. However the NTG system is widely used in other organisations, and is recommended for local government use also.



7.3 Non-Conforming addressesThe Messaging Service Provider has responsibilities in ensuring that the email domain standards are met. Any non-conformity of email domain standards must be referred to the ICTIASU for approval.

7.4 Requirements for e-mail servicesE-mail services for users identified by an nt.gov.au domain name must meet NTG technical standards for e-mail services.

Local government e-mail services require a message relay to be enabled in the NTG e-mail system in order to allow correct routing of e-mail from the NTG network.

NTG application and server e-mail services require a message relay to be enabled in the NTG e-mail system in order to transfer e-mail to and from the service provider messaging system.



8 DNS environment managementManagement of the NTG DNS environment is outsourced to the DNS Service Provider who will maintain external and internal DNS environments. The NTG DNS environment is the authoritative name server for the nt.gov.au 3LD name space.

Delegated local governments will operate or contract a service provider to operate their own DNS environments.

Both NTG and delegated local government DNS environments will be managed to industry best practice standards for security and continuity, including compliance with AGIMO standards.

8.1 Domain Registry ServiceAusregistry (http://www.ausregistry.com.au/whois) contains a list of all internet sites and it is available free of charge to all agencies and ICTIASU.

The DNS service provider also provides a domain registry service for all domain names of the format www.sitename.nt.gov.au.

The domain registry service provider will provide the following information for all domain names:

IP address;

Date of registration;

Name of registrant;

Agency;

Contact phone number; and

Date of expiry (if applicable).

DCS provide and manage domain redirects (http://www.nt.gov.au/sitename).

No domain registry service is available for email services.


introduction - nt.gov.au web viewwhere a local government name consists of more than one word the...

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