Request Service [8]
Get Support [9]
A Domain Name Service (DNS) [10] translates queries for domain names, which identify network resources that are meaningful to people, into Internet Protocol (IP) address, which are meaningful to computers. For example, the domain name www.uoguelph.ca [11] translates to the IP address 131.104.93.93
For any additional training on using this service, please contact the CCS Help Centre [12] for assistance.
If you need help or have questions about the service, please email us at IThelp@uoguelph.ca or check our CCS Help Services page for more ways to contact us:
- CCS Help Services [12]
There may be scheduled maintenance or a service issue occurring. Please refer to CCS System Status Page for more information:
Item | Expectation |
---|---|
Server availability | 24x7 except during scheduled maintenance periods. |
Processing a DNS request | Within 2 business days. |
The Domain Name System is a way of organizing computers and other resources on the public Internet and private networks. The naming system is based on a 4-segment, 12-digit Internet Protocol (IP) address (for example, 123.456.789.123). It is a hierarchical system wherein the numbers assigned within the segments are directly related to the preceding segment. It is analogous to a postal address such as province, city, street, and apartment number.
On the public Internet, there are Domain Name Services that handle the translation process to locate resources worldwide. However, the public services only concern themselves with translating the first two levels of the IP address (that is, 131.104.xxx.xxx). Thereafter, it is the responsibility of a local DNS service such as the University to handle the final translation to its resources.
The University maintains three servers to perform this translation function (131.104.20.10, 131.104.136.11, and 131.104.136.36). Multiple servers are used to provide redundancy so that service is maintained in the event of a server failure.
Domain Naming Conventions
Each University computing resource must be assigned both a domain name, or “hostname”, and an IP number. Domain names can refer to servers, workstations or other devices that are accessible via the Internet.
Website Domain Naming Convention
Personal websites are assigned the hostname www.uoguelph.ca/~XXXXXX, where “XXXXXX” is the individual’s central login identifier (see Personal Web Hosting [14]).
Department and organization websites (see Organizational Web Hosting [15]) can have hostnames in two formats:
- www.uoguelph.ca/XXXXXX, where “XXXXXX” is the name of the department or organization. For example, for the Department of Philosophy, the hostname would be www.uoguelph.ca/philosophy [16].
- www.XXXX.uoguelph.ca where “XXXX” is either 3 or 4 characters that clearly and unambiguously describe the department or organization. For example, the McLaughlin Library is identified as www.lib.uoguelph.ca [17]. The entity must be a logical subunit of the University of Guelph, such as a college, department or other affiliated unit.
Addresses such as "www.publications.uoguelph.ca" and "www.jobs.uoguelph.ca" are not logical subunits of the University, but are generic names applicable to multiple subunits and are not acceptable. However, after an entity name is approved (for example, www.csrc.uoguelph.ca), additional levels can be added without requiring approval (for example, www.jobs.csrc.uoguelph.ca or www.faculty.jobs.csrc.uoguelph.ca).
You can also register a website name that is not associated with the University’s domain name, www.uoguelph.ca [11]. For that situation, the third-party domain registration service provider requires this information:
- DNS Servers
DNS1 | asterix.net.uoguelph.ca (131.104.136.11) |
DNS2 | obelix.net.uoguelph.ca (131.104.20.10 |
- Technical Contact Information
Name: DNS Administrator
Job Title: DNS Administrator
Mailing Address: CCS Help Centre
Computing and Communications Services
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario
N1G 2W1, Canada
Phone: (519) 824-4120 Ext. 58888
Fax: (519) 767-1620
Email: dnsadmin@uoguelph.ca [18]
Local Area Network Naming Convention
Each local area network (LAN) at the University is given a domain name. Host names in the university domain consist of a sequence of labels separated by periods. Each hostname is the name of a device (or computer) on a network. The host name must be listed in a DNS for that host to be found by another computer attempting to communicate with it by name.
Servers
The following information needs to be provided to the Help Centre when making your DNS request:
- Departmental Servers may or may not be administrated by CCS. Please make sure you have talked to the server administrator and have the proper directory setup. Before submitting your DNS request, ensure that you know
- Server name
- Path on that server (directory)
- User account (if administrated by CCS)
- Web Servers. Before submitting your DNS request, ensure that you know
- IP address
- If applicable, the existing web server name where the domain will be housed.
Domain Name Requests
There are two tasks:
- Requesting approval for the domain name from the webmaster. This task is performed by the person wanting the name and ensures that the name adheres to the naming convention.
- Requesting that the name be added to the DNS service. This task is performed by the Departmental IT Administrator.
To request a new domain name:
Send an e-mail to the University Website Manager [19] requesting the name (for example, www.uoguelph.ca/XXXXXX or www.XXXX.uoguelph.ca).
Forward the webmaster’s approval to your Departmental IT Administrator.
There is no charge for this service as it is provided by CCS.