Scientific
Applications:
ISI NAMES DR. PAUL MOCKAPETRIS
VISITING SCHOLAR
Internet pioneer Paul Mockapetris, chief scientist of IP address
infrastructure software provider Nominum, has been appointed Visiting Scholar
by the Postel Center for Experimental Networking (PCEN), PCEN director Joseph
D. Touch announced today. The Information Sciences Institute of the University
of Southern California (USC-ISI) established the center to memorialize the
life-long accomplishments of Internet pioneer Jonathan B. Postel and to
encourage visionary research in networking and communications for the Internet
community. Dr. Mockapetris will focus on experiments involving future
technologies using the Domain Name System (DNS).
The advisory board for PCEN elected Mockapetris based on collaborative work
with the late Dr. Postel on the 1983 invention of DNS. Twenty years after its
invention, DNS is an essential component of the Internet infrastructure. All
Internet users depend on DNS every time they access a web URL or send an email
message, because the system translates words into the numbers needed to locate
Internet resources. The whole structure of the Internet and the vast volume of
commerce it now carries rest on the DNS protocol invented by Mockapetris and
the architecture created by Postel. "Paul is recognized as a pioneer who
through dedication and commitment has contributed to the Internet community
for over 20 years," said Dr. Touch "This level of commitment is the basis for
the Postel Center, where industry thought leaders are able to pursue long-term
visionary projects with Fellowship Students from the university."
Mockapetris joined ISI in 1978, and while there developed the first SMTP
email
server. He held a number of positions at ISI, including director of the high
performance computing and communications division. It was at ISI, in 1983,
that the DNS was invented. By 1986, Mockapetris' initial implementation of DNS
was running on all of the Internet's root name servers. In 1995, Mockapetris
left academia to become employee number two at @Home, where his efforts helped
to bring broadband Internet to the home via cable modem.
Mockapetris' decision to join Nominum in 1999 marked his renewed focus on
DNS
and IP addressing and the potential it holds for the future of the
Internet.
A member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
and
the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Mockapetris has served as chair
of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Research Working Group
of the U.S. Federal Networking Council. He held the position of program
manager for networking at the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the
U.S. Department of Defense, the organization that funded the creation of the
Internet. Mockapetris also served on the Internet Architecture Board (IAB).
His honors include the Distinguished Alumnus award from University of
California at Irvine and the 2003 IEEE Internet Award.
Mockapetris received his bachelor's degrees in physics and electrical
engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his doctorate
in information and computer science from the University of California at
Irvine.
About Nominum
Nominum is a pioneering provider of IP address infrastructure software for
enterprises that require reliable and secure DNS, DHCP and IP address
management for their mission critical networks. Nominum is driving the future
of IP addressing. For more information about Nominum, go to
www.nominum.com.
Postel Center for Experimental Networking
PCEN was established in April 2000 to memorialize the late Jonathan Postel
for
years of life-long accomplishments and contributions. Jonathan Postel was at
the forefront of many technologies developed over twenty years ago that
today's Internet relies upon. A think tank for experienced scientists,
educators and students, the Postel Center is dedicated to providing a place
for long-term network research projects and is funded by an endowment from
Cisco Corporation and other donors. For more information, go to
www.postel.org.
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