Acceptable Use Policy for Norid's registry system

This Acceptable Use Policy exists to ensure that the systems provided by Norid for the registrars are continuously available and conform to the appropriate quality parameters.

If no limits are set there is liable to be a flood of requests that could result in total congestion of the EPP channel. This could block the ability of our registrars to create, update or delete objects. Limits are therefore required.

The limits set in this document are liable to change as we gain more experience with the registry system.

Basic principles

Limits are applied to:

1. DAS and WHOIS; and
2. CHECK, INFO and POLL; and
3. CREATE

Each registrar receive a daily automatically generated report, containing detailed information about the registrar's objects that can be used to verify that the registrar’s records are consistent with Norid's. The availability of these reports will reduce the need to use WHOIS and INFO.

The CHECK and INFO commands require more system resources than DAS and WHOIS. Registrars should therefore preferably use the DAS and WHOIS (within the existing limits), as opposed to CHECK and INFO. In line with the above, the CHECK and INFO limits have been set lower than the DAS and WHOIS limits.

The CREATE command should not be used as a way to circumvent the limits on CHECK by constantly trying to register already existing domains.

Acceptable Use Policy

1. DAS
   1. Limit: 8000 per day per registrar.
      Action: Automatic lockout till midnight if daily limit is exceeded.
   2. Limit: 240 per minute per registrar (insofar as is consistent with limit 1a).
      Action: Automatic lockout for a period of 300 seconds if minute limit is exceeded.
2. WHOIS
   1. Limit: 3000 per day per registrar.
      Action: Automatic lockout till midnight if daily limit is exceeded.
   2. Limit: 60 per minute per registrar (insofar as is consistent with limit 2a).
      Action: Automatic lockout for a period of 30 seconds if minute limit is exceeded.
3. CHECK
   The following HOST and DOMAIN CHECK limits will apply:
   1. Limit: 100 per day per registrar
   2. Limit: 10 per minute per registrar (insofar as is consistent with limit 3a)
   3. Action: None automatically if limits are exceeded. The event is however recorded and prevailing actions may be enforced manually by Norid.
4. INFO
   The following HOST, CONTACT and DOMAIN INFO average limits will apply:
   1. Limit: 500 per day per registrar
   2. Limit: 20 per minute per registrar (insofar as is consistent with limit 4a)
   3. Action: None automatically if limits are exceeded. The event is however recorded and prevailing actions may be enforced manually by Norid. Registrars with many registered objects will however be granted higher limits than registrars with few objects.
5. POLL
   The following POLL and POLL ACK average limits will apply:
   1. Limit: 30 per minute per registrar (if there are messages in the POLL queue, the registrar needs to be able to read and delete several POLLS in a short space of time)
   2. Limit: 5000 per day per registrar (average 3.5 POLLS per 60 seconds)
   3. Action: None automatically if limits are exceeded. The event is however recorded and prevailing actions may be enforced manually by Norid. Registrars with many registered transactions will however be granted higher limits than registrars with few transactions.
6. CREATE
   1. Limit: No more than 4 CREATE on any single existing delegation (domain name) within a 24 hours period.
   2. Action: None automatically if limit is exceeded. The event is however recorded and prevailing actions may be enforced manually by Norid.

Definition of not acceptable usage

It is not acceptable to use the registry system, or knowingly or recklessly permit others to use the registry system:

1. so as to interfere with the use of the registry system by other registrars or authorised users;

2. in a manner which does, or is designed to, harass or cause a denial-of-service to any other user of the registry system; or

3. in a manner which causes or is likely to cause an interruption or degradation of, interference with, or disproportionate burden on the operations of the registry system, regardless of whether such interruption, degradation, interference or burden is the result of the registrar’s actions or those of a third party over which the registrar has no control. If, in Norid's reasonable opinion, a registrar is using the registry system in such an unacceptable manner Norid will take such steps as it deems appropriate to stop the unacceptable use including, but not limited to, suspending, restricting or terminating the registrar’s access to or use of some or all of Norid registrar system.