Editing Internet Systems Consortium

{{Infobox organization
| name                     = Internet Systems Consortium
| formation                = {{start date and age|1994}}
| founder                  = {{plist|
* [[Paul Vixie]]
* [[Carl Malamud]]
* [[Rick Adams (Internet pioneer)|Rick Adams]]
}}
| founded_date             = 
| key_people               = Jeff Osborn ([[President (corporate title)|President]])
| website                  = {{official URL}}
| logo                     = Internet Systems Consortium logo.svg
| image                    = 
| type                     = Network Engineering
| area_served              = Worldwide
| status                   = [[501(c)(3) organization]]
| focus                    = [[Domain name system|DNS]], [[Internet]]
| products                 = [[BIND]], [[DHCP]], [[Kea (software)|Kea]]
| num_employees            = 35
| former name              = Internet Software Consortium
| location                 = [[Newmarket, New Hampshire|Newmarket]], [[New Hampshire]], [[United States of America|U.S.]]
| module                   = {{infobox network service provider|child=yes|asn=3557}}
}}

'''Internet Systems Consortium, Inc.''', also known as '''ISC''', is an American non-profit corporation that supports the infrastructure of the universal, self-organizing [[Internet]] by developing and maintaining core production-quality software, [[communications protocol|protocols]], and operations.<ref name="isc_history">{{cite web |url = https://www.isc.org/about/ |title = The History of ISC |publisher = Internet Systems Consortium |access-date = 2020-09-14 |archive-date = 2020-10-20 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201020132411/https://www.isc.org/about/ |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.isc.org/about/501c3 |title = 501(c)(3) exemption letter |author = Internal Revenue Service |author-link = Internal Revenue Service |date = 2007-12-15 |format = PDF |publisher = Internet Systems Consortium |access-date = 2009-04-11 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081118021227/https://www.isc.org/about/501c3/ |archive-date = 2008-11-18 }}</ref> ISC has developed several key [[Internet technologies]] that enable the global Internet, including: [[BIND]], [[DHCPD|ISC DHCP]] and [[Kea (software)|Kea]]. Other software projects no longer in active development include OpenReg and [[AFTR|ISC AFTR]] (an implementation of an [[IPv6 transition mechanisms|IPv4/IPv6 transition]] protocol based on [[IPv6 transition mechanisms#Dual-Stack Lite .28DS-Lite.29|Dual-Stack Lite]]).

ISC operates one of the 13 global authoritative [[Domain name system|DNS]] root servers, [[Root nameserver|F-Root]].<ref name="isc_f-root">{{cite web |url = https://www.isc.org/f-root/ |title = F-Root |date = 10 July 2019 |publisher = Internet Systems Consortium |access-date = 2020-09-14 |archive-date = 2020-09-05 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200905075919/http://www.isc.org/f-root/ |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="isc_icann_f-root_agreement">{{cite web |url = https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2008-01-04-en |title = Milestone Agreement Reached Between ICANN, and F Root Server Operator, Internet Systems Consortium |publisher = ICANN |access-date = 2020-09-14 |archive-date = 2019-12-13 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191213093456/https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2008-01-04-en |url-status = live }}</ref>

Over the years a number of additional software systems were operated under ISC (for example: [[InterNetNews|INN]] and [[Lynx (web browser)|Lynx]]) to better support the Internet's infrastructure. ISC also expanded their operational activities to include Internet hosting facilities for other open-source projects such as [[NetBSD]], [[XFree86]], [[kernel.org]], secondary name-service (SNS) for more than 50 [[top-level domains]], and a DNS OARC (Operations, Analysis and Research Center) for monitoring and reporting of the Internet's DNS.

ISC is actively involved in the community design process; it authors and participates in the development of the [[Internet Engineering Task Force|IETF]] standards, including the production of managed open-source software used as a reference implementation of the DNS.<ref>{{cite web |title=IETF Standards Written by ISC Contributors |url=https://www.isc.org/rfcs/ |website=Internet Systems Consortium |publisher=ISC |access-date=14 September 2020 |archive-date=5 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220405182509/https://www.isc.org/rfcs/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

ISC is primarily funded by the sale of technical support contracts for its open source software.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.isc.org/docs/2019ISCannualreportfinal.pdf |title = 2019 ISC Annual Report |publisher = ISC |access-date = 2020-09-14 |archive-date = 2020-10-01 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201001122720/https://www.isc.org/docs/2019ISCannualreportfinal.pdf |url-status = dead }}</ref>

==History==
Originally the company was founded as the '''Internet Software Consortium, Inc.''' The founders included [[Paul Vixie]], [[Rick Adams (Internet pioneer)|Rick Adams]] and [[Carl Malamud]]. The corporation was intended to continue the development of [[BIND]] software. The founders believed that it was necessary that BIND's maintenance and development be managed and funded by an independent organization. ISC was designated as a root name server operator by [[Internet Assigned Numbers Authority|IANA]], originally as NS.ISC.ORG and later as F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

In January 2004, ISC reorganized under the new name Internet Systems Consortium, Inc.<ref name="isc_history2">{{cite web |url = https://www.isc.org/mission |title = ISC Mission |publisher = Internet Systems Consortium |access-date = 2020-09-14 }}</ref>

In July 2013, ISC spun off the Security Business Unit to [https://www.farsightsecurity.com Farsight Security, Inc.] a new company started by ISC founder Paul Vixie.<ref name="farsight">{{cite web |url = https://www.isc.org/blogs/isc-spins-off-its-security-business-unit/ |title = ISC Spins Off Its Security Business Unit |date = 2 July 2013 |publisher = Internet Systems Consortium |access-date = 2020-09-14 |archive-date = 2020-09-05 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200905081059/http://www.isc.org/blogs/isc-spins-off-its-security-business-unit/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

In early 2020, ISC closed its headquarters in Redwood City, California and moved its operations to Newmarket, New Hampshire.<ref>{{cite web |title=ISC 2019 Year in Review |date=13 January 2020 |url=https://www.isc.org/blogs/2019-in-review/ |publisher=Internet Systems Consortium |access-date=14 September 2020}}</ref>

==Open Source==
ISC develops and maintains open source networking software, including [[BIND]] and two [[Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol|DHCP]] implementations: [[DHCPD|ISC DHCP]] and [[Kea (software)|Kea DHCP]]. ISC also distributes [[InterNetNews|INN]] and several older, unmaintained projects.<ref name="isc_history" /> Some early aspects of its software were developed by developers that were commercially employed by Nominum, amongst others.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nominum.com/company/history.php |title = Nominum Inc history |quote = David Conrad founded Nominum in 1999 to develop BIND9 and ISC DHCP3 for the Internet Software Consortium |access-date = 2008-12-04 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081220151140/http://www.nominum.com/company/history.php |archive-date = 2008-12-20 |url-status = dead }}</ref>

==ISC license==
{{main|ISC license}}
ISC developed and used the [[ISC license]], which is functionally similar to the [[BSD licenses#2-clause|simplified BSD]] and [[MIT license|MIT]] licenses. The ISC license is [[OpenBSD]]'s preferred license for new code.<ref>{{cite web |title=OpenBSD: Copyright Policy |url=https://www.openbsd.org/policy.html |website=openbsd.org |access-date=5 March 2024}}</ref>

All current versions of ISC-hosted software are available under the Mozilla Public License 2.0.<ref>{{cite web |title=ISC Software Licenses |url=https://isc.org/licenses |publisher=Internet Systems Consortium |access-date=14 September 2020 |archive-date=16 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916083853/https://www.isc.org/licenses/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==DNS root server==
ISC operates the [[Domain name system|DNS]] "F" root server,<ref name="isc_history" /> the first such server to be distributed using [[anycast]]. In 2007 it was announced that ISC and [[ICANN]] would sign an agreement regarding the operation of F, the first such agreement made between ICANN and a root-server operator.<ref name="isc_icann_mra">{{cite web |url = https://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-04jan08.htm |title = Milestone Agreement Reached Between ICANN, and F Root Server Operator, Internet Systems Consortium |publisher = [[ICANN]] |access-date = 2020-09-14 |archive-date = 2008-07-03 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080703165343/http://www.icann.org./announcements/announcement-04jan08.htm |url-status = live }}</ref>

==Usenet moderators list==
ISC maintains and publishes (on ftp.isc.org) the central [[Usenet]] [[Forum moderator|moderators]] list and relays for moderated groups, so individual server operators don't have to track moderator changes.<ref name="usenet_hierarchy_faq">[http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/faqs/usenet-hier.html#S4 Usenet Hierarchy FAQ Section 4].</ref>

==Internet Domain Survey==
[[File:Internet Hosts Count log.svg|thumb|300px|Number of Internet hosts worldwide in 1970–2015<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.isc.org/solutions/survey/history |title=Internet host count history |publisher=Internet Systems Consortium |access-date=May 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518101749/http://www.isc.org/solutions/survey/history |archive-date=May 18, 2012 }}</ref>]]
The Internet Domain Survey searched the [[Domain name system|Domain Name System]] (DNS) to discover every Internet host. The survey began when only a few hundred hosts were Internet-linked.<ref name="isc_ids">{{cite web |url = https://www.isc.org/solutions/survey |title = ISC Internet Domain Survey |publisher = Internet Systems Consortium |access-date = 2009-04-11 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081117190806/https://www.isc.org/solutions/survey |archive-date = 2008-11-17 }}</ref> The earliest published reports, dated 1993, were performed by Network Wizards owner Mark K. Lottor. The Internet host count was {{val|1,313,000}} in January 1993 and {{val|1,062,660,523}} in the January 2017 survey.<ref name="isc_ids_2017_01">{{cite web |url = http://ftp.isc.org/www/survey/reports/current/ |title = Internet Domain Survey, January 2017 |publisher = Internet Systems Consortium |access-date = 2017-02-14 |archive-date = 2024-06-25 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240625184358/https://ftp.isc.org/www/survey/reports/current/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

ISC ended its sponsorship and publication of the [https://www.isc.org/survey/ Internet Domain Survey] in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=ISC ends Internet Domain Survey |date=26 August 2019 |url=https://www.isc.org/blogs/domain-survey-ends/ |publisher=Internet Systems Consortium |access-date=14 September 2020 |archive-date=29 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629202222/https://www.isc.org/blogs/domain-survey-ends/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Open Source Applications Foundation]] (OSAF)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.isc.org ISC] Official site



[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:DNS software]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1994]]
[[Category:Software companies established in 1994]]
[[Category:1994 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Software companies of the United States]]
[[Category:501(c)(3) organizations]]