Editing Domain name registry (section)

{{Short description|Database of domain names and associated registrant information}}
{{redirect|Network information center|the organization|InterNIC}}
A '''domain name registry''' is a database of all [[Domain name|domain names]] and the associated registrant information in the top level domains of the [[Domain Name System]] (DNS) of the Internet that enables third party entities to request administrative control of a domain name. Most registries operate on the top-level and second-level of the DNS.

A '''registry operator''', sometimes called a '''network information center''' ('''NIC'''), maintains all administrative data of the domain and generates a zone file which contains the addresses of the nameservers for each domain. Each registry is an organization that manages the registration of domain names within the domains for which it is responsible, controls the policies of domain name allocation, and technically operates its domain. It may also fulfill the function of a [[domain name registrar]], or may delegate that function to other entities.<ref>{{cite web | title = ICann.org Glossary | url = http://www.icann.org/en/general/glossary.htm | access-date = 2009-04-21}}</ref>

Domain names are managed under a hierarchy headed by the [[Internet Assigned Numbers Authority]] (IANA), which manages the top of the DNS tree by administrating the data in the [[root nameserver]]s. IANA also operates the [[.int|int]] registry for intergovernmental organizations, the [[.arpa|arpa]] zone for protocol administration purposes, and other critical zones such as [[root-servers.net]]. IANA delegates all other domain name authority to other domain name registries and a full list is available on their web site.<ref>{{cite web | title = IANA — Root Zone Database | url = https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db | access-date = 2019-12-04}}</ref> [[Country code top-level domain]]s (ccTLD) are delegated by IANA to national registries such as [[DENIC]] in Germany and [[Nominet]] in the United Kingdom.