Root Zone Maintainer

The organization that builds, signs and distributes the root zone (glossary)root zone The top of the DNS, listing every TLD and its name servers. Full definition of root zone file to the root server operators (glossary)root server operator One of the twelve organizations that run the DNS root servers. Full definition of root server operator after IANA (glossary)IANA Internet Assigned Numbers Authority The functions that coordinate the root zone, IP addresses and protocol numbers. Full definition of IANA has approved each change. Verisign (glossary)Verisign The company that operates the .com and .net registries. Full definition of Verisign performs this role under a contract with ICANN (glossary)ICANN Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers The nonprofit that coordinates the global DNS and gTLD policy. Full definition of ICANN. It is separate from Verisign's role as registry (glossary)registry The central database and system of a top-level domain, or loosely the organization that runs it. Full definition of registry for TLDs (glossary)TLD top-level domain The last part of a domain name, after the final dot. Full definition of TLD such as .com.