The 43rd DNS-OARC Workshop, marking our 20th anniversary, took place in the historic city of Prague this October. Hosting the event in Prague proved to be an excellent choice, as it offered a beautiful and accessible location for attendees and allowed us to co-locate with RIPE 89, which followed directly after OARC 43. This made it easier for participants to attend both events, maximizing networking and collaboration opportunities across the DNS and networking communities. With over 100 in-person attendees, lively discussions, and engaging presentations, OARC 43 celebrated two decades of DNS collaboration with a strong showing of community and innovation.
Highlights
OARC 43 delivered a range of compelling sessions that showcased the latest in DNS research and practical insights. Highlights included Introduction to Vector: DNSTAP Processing & Lessons Learned, where John Todd from Quad9 shared his team’s journey implementing Vector as a tool for processing DNSTAP data at scale, sparking interest in its potential for advanced DNS data analysis. Wouter de Vries from Cloudflare presented A Look at Authoritative Nameserver Performance of TLDs, examining how TLD nameservers’ performance directly impacts end-user experience and revealing the critical nuances of latency variation across TLDs. Another key session, Characterizing and Mitigating Phishing Attacks at ccTLD Scale by Sebastian Castro of .IE, explored strategies for phishing prevention at country-code TLDs, using data from .nl, .ie, and .be registries. These insights underscored the unique role of registries in combating phishing threats across national domains.
OARC 43 also introduced a new “Staff Lead Session”, aimed at providing deeper insight into our ongoing work and upcoming initiatives. Phil Regnauld kicked off by sharing updates since OARC 42, including the addition of six new members, this year’s DNS Community Days in Bangkok and Santa Marta. He also underscored the benefits of OARC membership, from access to a premier DNS technical community to unique datasets and coordinated incident response. Matt Pounsett provided an overview of OARC’s data collections, including active initiatives like the Zone File Repository, Check My DNS Logs, RSSAC-002 Stats Collection, and the annual DITL collection, emphasizing how members can leverage this data. Lastly, Jerry Lundström presented on the Crunchy DITL project, a new prototype that offers an innovative approach to DITL data analysis (thanks to Verisign’s grant), and gave an overview of OARC’s software tools.
For those who couldn’t attend or want to revisit the sessions, all presentations from OARC 43 can be found here. Video recordings of the workshop are in the process of being edited and will be on our YouTube channel as soon as they are available.
Special Thanks
We want to extend our gratitude to Hazel Smith for serving as Co-Chair of the Program Committee this past year, and to Hazel, John Todd, and Suzanne Woolf for their dedicated service on the committee from 2022 to 2024. Their expertise and commitment have greatly contributed to OARC’s success, and they will be truly missed.
The call for PC nominations is currently open more information was recently posted on our Mattermost server here.
A Night to Remember: Saturday Social at U Hubatků
No OARC Workshop would be complete without a memorable social gathering! This year, over 100 attendees gathered at U Hubatků, just a short walk from the Clarion Congress Hotel, for a Saturday night filled with good food, drinks, and vibrant conversation. With a surprise appearance by a guest parrot named Zako, the atmosphere was buzzing as attendees shared laughs, networked, and discussed the day’s sessions. These informal moments remind us of the community spirit that has made OARC events so special over the years.
Updated Initiative: Mentor-Mentee Program
OARC 43 also launched our enhanced Mentor-Mentee Program, which welcomed nearly 50 first-time attendees and matched them with nine seasoned mentors. This updated initiative started with introductions before the meeting and followed up with a meet-and-greet before the first session, helping new members find their footing and feel part of the OARC community. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing gratitude for the guidance and connections made through the program. We’re committed to not only continuing this initiative but also to refining it. Feedback has been requested from the participants, and we welcome insights from the broader community to help shape its future.
Celebrating Two Decades of DNS-OARC
In honor of OARC’s 20th anniversary, we launched a special online fundraiser with limited-edition commemorative shirts. It was a wonderful opportunity to recognize how far we’ve come and look forward to the future. These shirts are available only through the end of the year, after which they will be discontinued. Proceeds from the fundraiser support DNS-OARC’s mission and ongoing activities, helping us continue our work in advancing DNS research and security. Be sure to get yours before they’re gone!
Post-Workshop Survey: Share Your Feedback
As always, we value your input to help us improve our workshops. If you attended OARC 43, please take a moment to complete our post-workshop survey. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping future events, and we appreciate all responses. The survey will close on November 27, 2024.
Looking Ahead
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Prague and contributed to the success of OARC 43. We are grateful for our attendees, speakers, and sponsors, who help make each OARC Workshop an invaluable experience. With memories and insights from Prague fresh in mind, we’re looking forward to our next event, OARC 44, in Atlanta this February. We hope to see you there for another dynamic workshop filled with collaboration and growth.
