De Washington Post meldt dat Network Solutions de A.root server, die alle top level domains bij elkaar houdt, heeft geupgrade naar een IBM RS/6000 met 24 processors. Tot voor kort draaide de moeder der nameservers op een Sun E10000:
Known as the A.Root server, the big black IBM computer holds the authoritative files for matching domain names--such as www.marthastewart.com or www.yahoo.com--with the numerical addresses of the computers where they are hosted.The server holds the master file nicknamed dot (or ".") that has the central database of domain-name information. Copies of the information are distributed regularly to other top-level domain servers around the world.
The server handles information for almost all domain names--not only the extensions such as .com that Network Solutions registers but also country-specific domains for more than 350 nations that are registered by other organizations.
De upgrade was nodig omdat de traffic naar de A.root server vanaf het begin van dit jaar is gestegen van 220 miljoen naar 420 miljoen requests per dag.