OpenSRS Reseller s Guide to Domain Name Registration and Management. Version 2.10 August 25, 2007

Transcription

1 OpenSRS Reseller s Guide to Domain Name Registration and Management Version 2.10 August 25, 2007

2 Last modified August 20, 2007 COPYRIGHT Copyright Tucows Inc. All rights reserved.

3 Table of Contents The OpenSRS Platform...1 Tucows Products Available for Resale...1 Accessing the OpenSRS System...2 Definition of Terms...3 Reseller Requirements...5 Reseller Entrance and Qualification...6 The Administrative Component...6 The Technical Component...6 Quick Start vs. Full Access...7 Quick Start Implementation...8 PERL Client-Based Full Access Implementation...9 Other Language Implementation...10 Our Two Environments: Live and Test...10 Using Non-ASCII Characters for Messaging...11 Domain Registration and Management...12 The Reseller Web Interface (RWI)...12 The RWI Login Journal...12 Data Archiving...12 RWI Options...13 Domain Registration Administration...14 Domain Name Lookup...16 View Orders...23 Transfer Views...24 Cancel Orders...25 Requests Queuing...25 Refunds...26 Messaging...26 Domain Management...27 View Domain...27 Search Domains Page...30 i

4 Table of Contents Domain Name...30 Search Criteria...31 Registration Statistics...32 Profile Management...33 Reseller Password Recovery Options...36 The Manage Web Interface (MWI)...36 The Domain Year...39 Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Registries...39 Common Domain-Oriented Issues...40 Reseller Contact Information for End Users...43 Registration Service Provider Information in WHOIS...44 Custom Message for Registrants Contacting OpenSRS Support...46 Reseller Affiliates...47 Payments...48 Pricing...48 Wire Transfers...48 Checks and International Money Orders...49 Online Credit Card Payments...49 Automated Check Handling (direct withdrawal)...52 Signing up for ACH...52 Specifying ACH Payment Options...53 Making a Manual ACH Payment...54 Conditions for Automatic Top-Up and Manual Deposit...54 Payment Information...55 Financial Statements...57 Financial Statement HTML Results...58 Refunds...59 Checking your Balance...59 General TLD (gtld) Registrations...60 DNS Requirements...61 gtld Qualification...61 Quickstart Considerations...61 ii

5 Table of Contents gtld Renewals...61 gtld Renewal Flow...61 gtld Renewals Features Overview...62 The Reseller Web Interface and gtld Renewals...63 Renewal Functionality from 90, 60, 30, 0 days and Passed Due Views..65 Individual gtld Renewals...65 Bulk gtld Renewals...66 Setting gtlds to Auto-Renew...66 Auto-Renew all New/Transferred Domains...67 Setting gtlds for Non-Renewal...67 gtld Renewals without Sufficient Funds...68 gtld Script/Client Considerations for Renewals...69 gtld Renewal Messaging...69 Reseller Renewal Reminders...69 Configuring Registrant Renewal Reminders...72 Manually Sending a Renewal Notice to End-Users...73 Reseller Renewal Confirmation...73 Registrant Renewal Confirmation...75 Bounced Renewal Messages...75 The Manage Domain Interface and gtld Renewals...75 DNS for Expired Domains...76 Archived s from OpenSRS...76 Pricing...77 auth_code for.info,.org,.biz,.name,.net,.com and.mobi Domains...77 Managing gtlds...78 WHOIS Info...78 Deletion of New Registrations...80 Domain Locking...80 Locking all New/Transferred Domains...81 WDRP - Whois Data Reminder Policy...81 Customizing the WDRP Message Sent to your Customers...83 iii

6 Table of Contents Viewing your Customers WDRP Message Status...84 Changing the WDRP Message Contact Type...84.NAME gtld...85.name Reseller Qualification...85.NAME Domain Formats and Availability...85 Reserved and Restricted Names...86.NAME Registration Eligibility Forwarding...88 Registering Second- and Third-Level.NAME Domains without Forwarding...88 Registering a Third-Level.NAME Domain with Forwarding...89.NAME Renewals...90.NAME Transfers and Out-of-Zone Hosts...90.NAME Manage Considerations...90.MOBI...91 Nameserver Requirements...91.MOBI Compliance...91 Viewing Pending Orders...92 Viewing Submitted Orders...92 Country Code TLDs...93.AT...94.AT Reseller Qualification...94.AT Residency Requirements...94.AT DNS Requirements...94.AT Renewals...95.AT Transfers...95.BE...96.BE Contact Information...96.BE Reseller Qualification...96.BE Residency Requirements...96.BE DNS Requirements...96.BE Renewals and Registration Term...97 iv

7 Table of Contents.BE Transfers and Changes of Ownership...97.CA...99.CA Reseller Qualifications...99.CA Registration Considerations The CIRA Username/Password CA Registration Flow Resending the CIRA Username and Password to the Registrant CA Registrar Transfers (RWI) CA Registrar Transfers through the Reseller Client Code CA Registrar Transfer Process Registrar Transfer Status Codes Forcing the Completion of Registrar Transfers CA Transfers Messaging CA Transfers away from your Reseller Profile CA Reseller to Reseller Transfers CA Reseller Transfer Status Codes CA Reseller Transfers Messaging CA Registrant Transfers Managing.CA Registrations Renewals Ability to Set.CA Names for Non-Renewal Allow.CA Domain Changes without Registrant Approval Canadian Presence Requirements for Registrants Which Registrant Name Rules Apply to the Various Legal Types? Descriptions of Registrant Types CC CC Reseller Qualification CC Residency Requirements CC DNS Requirements CC Transfers CH CH Reseller Qualification v

8 Table of Contents.CH Residency Requirements CH DNS Requirements CH Renewals CH Transfers CN CN Reseller Qualification CN Residency Requirements CN Registration Process CN DNS Requirements CN Deletions CN Renewals CN Transfers CN Manage Considerations DE DE Reseller Qualification DE Residency Requirements DE Registration Process DE DNS Requirements Registering IDN.DE Domains DE Expiries/Deletions DE Renewals DE Transfers DE Transfers to Tucows DE Transfers away from Tucows DE Reseller to Reseller Transfers DE Manage Considerations DK DK Reseller Qualification DK Residency Requirements DK DNS Requirements DK Renewals DK Transfers vi

9 Table of Contents.ES ES Reseller Qualification ES Residency Requirements ES DNS Requirements ES Renewals ES Transfers EU EU Contact Information EU Reseller Qualification EU Residency Requirements EU DNS Requirements EU Renewals and Registration Term EU Transfers and Changes of Ownership FR FR Reseller Qualification FR Residency Requirements FR DNS Requirements FR Renewals FR Transfers IT IT Reseller Qualification IT Residency Requirements IT DNS Requirements IT Renewals IT Transfers MX MX Reseller Qualification MX Residency Requirements MX DNS Requirements MX Renewals MX Transfers NL vii

10 Table of Contents.NL Reseller Qualification NL Residency Requirements NL DNS Requirements NL Renewals NL Transfers TV TV Reseller Qualification TV Residency Requirements TV DNS Requirements TV Transfers UK UK Top-Level Registration Restrictions About Nominet Reseller.UK Qualification UK DNS Requirements Quick Start Considerations Pricing *.UK Registration Considerations Asynchronous Processing Managing.*.UK Registrations *.UK Renewals *.UK Domain Expiration and Grace Period *.UK Transfers Changing Retry and Failure Reporting Settings *.UK Deletion Requests WHOIS Info Modification of Contact Info - WHOIS Considerations WHOIS Opt-Out US US Reseller Qualification US Registration Considerations US DNS Requirements viii

11 Table of Contents Modifications to the Reseller Web Interface for.us The.US Auth_code US Registration Flow US Registrant/Registrar/Reseller Transfers US Deletion Requests Reseller Pricing for.us US Manage Considerations IDN (Internationalized Domain Name) Registrations IDN Registration Agreement Reseller Web Interface for IDN Registrations IDN Renewals and Registration Periods IDN Transfers IDN WHOIS Info Viewing IDN Orders using the RWI Converting to Punycode and Verifying Punycode Compliance Changing your Browser Settings to View IDNs IDN Bulk Registrations Process Overview Entering data in Punycode for Bulk Registrations Creating an IDN Flat File Creating a Flat File Useful Steps for Resellers not Running Office Submitting Bulk IDN Registrations IDN UDRP Considerations IDN Pricing IDN Supported TLDs and Languages COM,.NET,.CC,.TV ORG INFO BIZ and.de Bulk Changes Restrictions by TLD for Type of Bulk Change The Bulk Domain Change Management Page ix

12 Table of Contents Identifying the Domains to which to Apply a Bulk Change Making Bulk DNS Changes Making Bulk Contact Changes Locking and Unlocking Multiple Domains Assigning Parked Pages to Multiple Domains Renewing Multiple Domains Viewing Queued Bulk Change Requests Suspending or Resuming a Bulk Change Request Canceling a Bulk Change Request Terminating a Bulk Change Request WHOIS Privacy Reseller Qualification Product Overview Enabling WHOIS Privacy for a New Domain Enabling WHOIS Privacy for an Existing Domain Enabling WHOIS Privacy for Multiple Domains Enabling WHOIS Privacy when Transferring a Domain Validating WHOIS Privacy Requests Contact Privacy Registrant Verification Page WHOIS Privacy Request Not Confirmed Canceling a Pending WHOIS Privacy Request Disabling WHOIS Privacy Viewing Domains with WHOIS Privacy Searching for Domains with WHOIS Privacy Changes to the Manage Web Interface WHOIS Rate Limiting Access Limits for Port 43 WHOIS WHOIS Rate Limit Error Messages Order Queuing Viewing Queued Requests Parked Pages Setting up your Business with Parked Pages x

13 Table of Contents Extending your Branding to Parked Pages Checking your Parked Pages Revenue Report Searching for Parked Pages within Domains you Manage Adding Parked Page Service to an Existing, Non-Expired Domain Adding Parked Page Service when Registering a New Domain Adding Parked Page Service when Transferring a Domain Adding Parked Page Service when Renewing a Domain Adding Parked Page Service to Multiple Existing Domains Tucows Insight Technical Support Peer Based Support Other Documentation Communication Methods The OpenSRS Web Site Data Constraints Registry Errors xi

14 The OpenSRS Platform With the OpenSRS platform, Tucows has introduced an open source, wholesale product-provisioning model aimed at Resellers in the Internet industry. Tucows provides Resellers with the software and support required to incorporate domain name registration and additional Internet services into their business model. This document addresses the provisioning and management of domain names, by Resellers, through the OpenSRS platform. Please send any comments on this document to Throughout this document you ll see reference to Resellers; Resellers are the people and companies who provision products and services through Tucows. The OpenSRS system is the platform through which Tucows provides services to our Resellers. Tucows Products Available for Resale Tucows currently offers the following products with their associated administrative and management services.! Domain Name Registration! Digital Certificates! Service! Defense ( spam and virus protection)! Managed DNS! Website Builder! Blogware For more information on each of these services, and to add them to your Reseller profile, please visit Tucows' Reseller website at This document discusses the provisioning and management of domain names through the OpenSRS system. For documentation on the provisioning of Tucows' other services (Blogware, Digital Certificates, , Defense, Managed DNS, and Website Builder) please consult the User Guides available from the Documentation page in Reseller Resource Center. You will need your Reseller username and password in order to access this page. 1

15 Introduction Accessing the OpenSRS System There are two ways that you can access to the OpenSRS System: Quick Start and Full Access. While both methods fully utilize the OpenSRS system, they access it through different means. The best access option for your firm depends on a number of factors, including registration volumes, approach to customer support and your desired level of process automation. Quick Start Quick Start Access is a web-based solution hosted by Tucows for Resellers. Quick Start Access allows you to quickly and easily enter orders manually through the Reseller Web Interface or RWI. Because this is a manual process, you are wholly responsible for both collecting and distributing order information to your customers, a function that is fully automated with a Full Access implementation. With Quick Start implementations, however, there is no need for code development. Full Access Using Scripts Full Access is a customizable solution for Resellers who are willing to host their own provisioning solution connected to Tucows OpenSRS. Full Access allows you to automate order processing and incorporate it directly into your own web site through an Application Programming Interface or API. Using PERL or XML Scripts Tucows provides a complete library of PERL and XML scripts that can be customized and integrated into Reseller websites to allow access to Tucows OpenSRS through the API. Using Custom Scripts Tucows also provides complete protocol descriptions for the API so that you can create custom interfaces in a language of your choice. Many Resellers have already created and shared scripts in many common languages. All options provide you with access to the products and services that Tucows offers, as long as you have signed the contract for that particular product or service, (see specific TLDs and services for instructions on contract locations). Public Manage Function OpenSRS also provides a public interface that Registrants can use to manage their domain names, allowing them to make changes to domain ownership, contact details and nameserver information. Full Access Resellers can either refer clients to our public Manage Domain interface, or build a custom Manage interface that matches the look and feel of their website. 2

16 Introduction Note: The public management interface does not provide some features, such as renewals. These are functions that are accessible and modifiable only through the client code, as oftentimes Resellers must tie specific functions to other functions in their Full Access implementations. For example, renewals cannot be performed through the public manage function as you must secure payment before a renewal transaction can be processed. The Tucows OpenSRS model allows you to be a one stop shop as far as your clients are concerned; Tucows is, in most marketing respects, transparent to the End User in the purchase and management of Internet services. You must maintain an account balance with Tucows in order to register domain names. Prices vary by product; for pricing information, please refer to the specific sections of this document. For each registration (or renewal/transfer), the appropriate amount of money is withdrawn from your account balance. You must remit a payment (prepay) before you can offer registrations to your clients. Insufficient funds means a transaction is not processed (and an appropriate error is generated). Note: You can make payments into your account before your account is actually made active; this allows Resellers who have completed their system testing to start registering domain names as soon as they go live. Definition of Terms The following terms are used throughout this document: Term Definition Generic Top Level Domain (gtld) Country Code Top Level Domain (cctld) gtlds are generic top-level domains that are not associated with any country. Currently, Tucows OpenSRS supports the following gtlds:.com, net,.org,.info,.biz and.name. cctlds are country code top-level domains. Every country, and some territories in the world have a reserved, two letter country code domain that is theirs to use as they see fit. Some countries run their own cctld registry, others outsource it to a private company, and still others sell rights to their cctld to third parties to run as they see fit. Examples of cctlds are.ca (Canada),.US (United States), and.uk (United Kingdom). In general, these domains are registered by businesses or individuals with a link to the particular cctld. For example,.to is used more by Torontonians than Tongans and.tv has more American television content than by members of the native Tuvalu culture. Domain Registrar A "Registrar" (or "Domain Name Registrar") is an organization like Tucows or Verisign Registrar Services that has control over the granting of domains within certain TLDs (top level domains, like the generic.com/.org/.net or country-specific.ca/.us/.mx etc.). 3

17 Introduction Term Domain Registry Domain Registrant Tucows OpenSRS (Open Shared Registration System) Resellers Reseller Web Interface (RWI) Management Web Interface (MWI) Definition The 'Registry' is the system backend that is maintained by the operators of the TLD. Registrars write new names to a central registry database, from which the authoritative root (essentially, a table of all domain names) is built. Verisign Global runs the registry for.com,.net and.org, Neustar runs the.biz registry, and Afilias runs the.info registry to which qualified registrars have shared access. In the case of many cctlds, the registry and registrar functions are combined within one entity. A Registrant is the person or company who registers a domain name. For example, Jessica Smith (Registrant) registers the name jessicasmith.com through OpenSRS (Registrar) who in turn writes the name to the central database (Registry). OpenSRS is a wholesale provisioning service that uses Open Source principles to ensure equal access for as many companies and individuals as possible. Tucows has been accredited as a domain registrar by ICANN, Neustar, Afilias, Global Name Registry, Neulevel, CIRA, and Nominet. Resellers acquire products or services through Tucows and then resell them to individuals or businesses. Under the Tucows OpenSRS business model, Resellers own the entire business relationship with their customers. Tucows Resellers are generally Internet based service providers, either running a domain registration business as a 'value add' to their core business, or in some cases, as their core business. Resellers are also responsible for providing all technical support to domain registrants. The RWI is the web interface for OpenSRS Quick Start Resellers. All purchases, including registrations, transfers, renewals and domain administrative settings available to Quick Start Resellers are offered through the RWI. The MWI is the interface through which Registrants actually manage contacts and nameservers that are associated with their domains. A customizable version of our manage.cgi is included in our client software; we also maintain a public manage interface at 4

18 Introduction Reseller Requirements Before you can offer name registrations through Tucows, you must meet the following basic requirements as well as the Quick Start or Full Access requirements: Basic Requirements! Ability to process payments from end-users; essentially collect money from your customers, unless you are not planning on charging them, or are registering names for internal use only.! Ability to support your customers; telephone and/or support options to handle inquiries from your end users; documentation for your end users. Quick Start Requirements! Internet access.! Name servers, or access to name servers; required if you want the names you register to resolve (work) on the Internet. Full Access Requirements! A dedicated connection to the Internet with a static IP address.! A web server that allows CGI execution (for example, Apache, Perl5 (Practical Extraction and Report Language) if you are choosing to use our Perl-based client.! Cryptography PERL modules, downloaded separately from CPAN see the OpenSRS PERL Client Manual for details.! Enough PERL knowledge to customize our PERL client. or enough expertise in your preferred development language to access the shared libraries and build your own client interface using our API. 5

19 Reseller Entrance and Qualification The process for becoming a Tucows Reseller is relatively simple. We ve split the process into two components: an administrative component and a technical component. The Administrative Component In order to become a Reseller, you must first fill out our online form at: Once the form has been completed, you are given a reference number, and you must read, complete, and fax the Tucows Registration Service Provider Agreement (available on our website at for each registry in which you want to register domains. Once we receive your Registration Service Provider Agreement, it is reviewed for completeness and correctness, and to ensure that all required signatures appear on the appropriate pages. If all appears in order, Tucows staff activates your profile and sends you an with further instructions and to confirm your chosen username and password. The Technical Component Once your profile is active, you must choose whether you want to use the Quick Start system, the PERL-based Full Access system, or whether you want to write your own Full Access client in your preferred programming language. A Quick Start implementation is the faster, easier option, and can be used to get your business up and running until you have completed your client installation and configuration. It is a solution that is particularly well-suited for Resellers who:! Offer personal, high touch management of customers.! Purchase in volumes of less than 150 per month.! Manage products on behalf of customers.! Order each domain or digital certificate individually.! Are willing to allow management through Tucows supplied online interface. For a full list of the differences between Quick Start and Full Access, please see the section "Quick Start vs. Full Access". Once you have decided which implementation you want to use, please see the relevant section for more information: Quick Start Implementation PERL Client-Based Full Access Implementation Other Language Implementation 6

20 Getting Started Quick Start vs. Full Access There are two ways for you to access the OpenSRS system. The best access method for your firm depends on a number of factors, including registration volumes, approach to customer support and desired level of process automation. Quick Start Access A Quick Start implementation is the faster, easier option, and can be used to get your business up and running until you have completed your client installation and configuration. It is particularly well-suited for Resellers who:! Offer personal, high touch management of customers.! Purchase in volumes of less than 150 per month.! Manage products on behalf of customers.! Order each domain or digital certificate individually.! Are willing to allow management through Tucows supplied online interface. Key Features of Quick Start! Complete administrative control of OpenSRS functionality.! Easy technical implementation.! Asynchronous transaction processing.! Manual product provisioning interface.! Public registration management interface.! Products provisioned individually. Full Access Full Access offers a technically advanced implementation that automates and streamlines processing of product orders for you. It is particularly well-suited to Resellers who:! Offer Internet Services as either core business or gateway products.! Purchase in volumes greater than 150 per month.! Require automation of ordering and management of products.! Prefer management is done directly by end-users.! Have customers requiring a larger number of bulk orders, that is, individual customers may order 25 domain names at a time.! Prefer to offer management through a custom interface hosted on their own website. 7

21 Getting Started Key Features of Full Access! Streamlined administrative control of OpenSRS functionality.! Technically advanced implementation.! Real-Time transaction processing.! Automated product provisioning interface.! Customizable registration management Interface.! Bulk product provisioning available. Quick Start Implementation Very little preparation is needed to run a domain registration business using the Quick Start system. Since you will be doing all your provisioning manually through the RWI (Reseller Web Interface), you do not need to incorporate the Tucows scripts into your site and you can start registering domain names very quickly. This section assumes that you have already: 1. Completed the online application at Once you have submitted the application form, you will receive an access number via ; quote this number when submitting your contract. 2. Completed and submitted at least one of the Tucows OpenSRS Reseller Contracts for the service or TLD(s) that you want to resell. You can use your access information to connect to the Tucows Test Environment (Horizon) at (the RWI for the test system). The test system allows you to become familiar with the features before you begin registering domains in the Live system. In the test system, you have access to all of the TLDs that Tucows offers; however, in the Live system you can only register domains in TLDs for which you have signed a contract with Tucows. You must also become familiar with the Reseller Web Interface (RWI); see the section "Our Two Environments: Live and Test" for an overview. Note: For.CA registrations only, as of July 2004, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) no longer runs a test system. As a result, you can no longer test.ca registrations/lookups at In addition to the test environment, you also have access to the Live system and, if you have already established an account, you can begin registering domains right away. You cannot begin registering domains until you have established an account balance with Tucows. For information on payments, please see "Payments". 8

22 Getting Started Once you have access to the live/production environment, there are a few last steps to complete: 1. Decide whether to process orders immediately or have orders sit in a queue for review before processing. 2. Optionally, customize the message that registrants receive once their domain registration is processed. 3. Customize the message that you receive (if enabled) when a domain registration is processed. 4. Update the default name server information under Modify Technical Contact Information in the RWI. 5. Ensure that your contact information is appropriately configured under Emergency Contact Information in the RWI. PERL Client-Based Full Access Implementation Implementing the Full Access client interface is a more lengthy process, requiring installation and customization of client-side PERL scripts that interface with the OpenSRS server, which in turn communicates with the root registries. However, the advantages of a customized look and feel and an automated ordering and management process make this well worth the effort. An experienced PERL programmer works to integrate these scripts into your web site. The scripts take information entered via the web interface, encrypt it, and pass it along to the OpenSRS server. The scripts require PERL, and can run in either a UNIX or Windows NT environment, and can be downloaded from the Tucows OpenSRS web site. The definitive guide to implementing the scripts is distributed with the client package, "Reseller Client Library (RCL) V 2.9.5" which is available on our web site. Once the scripts have been put in place, you can use the test system to become familiar with the features and interface before you begin registering domains in the Live system. In addition to the test environment, you also have access to the live system, and if you have already established an account, you can begin registering domains right away. Please note that you will not be able to begin registering domains until you have established an account balance with Tucows. For information on payments, please see "Payments". Note: For testing purposes, you will have access to all TLDs that Tucows offers; however, once in the Live system, you will only be able to register domains in the TLDs for which contracts have been submitted and accepted. Once you have access to the live/production environment, there are a few last steps to complete: 9

23 Getting Started 1. Optionally, customize the message that registrants receive once their domain registration is processed. 2. Customize the message that you receive (if enabled) when a domain registration is processed. 3. Update the default name server information under Modify Technical Contact Information in the RWI. 4. Ensure your contact information is appropriately configured under Emergency Contact Information in the RWI. 5. Modify the configuration so that scripts are communicating with the Live environment by changing a setting in the opensrs.conf file, then generate a new private key for encrypted communication between the Reseller client and Tucows server. You must also contact ritebc@opensrs.org with the IP address from which your clients will be contacting the Tucows server, so that Tucows allows the traffic through. Other Language Implementation If you prefer to write your own tools in the language of your choice, you should refer to the OpenSRS API Specification guide, which covers this approach completely. This document is available from the Documentation page of the Reseller Resource Center. Once you have built your client, entrance and qualification is identical to the PERL client-based implementation described in "Perl Client-Based Full Access Implementation". Our Two Environments: Live and Test To facilitate risk free learning and testing of the OpenSRS system, Tucows maintains two environments, commonly known as Live and Test. The Test environment mirrors the Live environment in nearly every way, and is the proving grounds where you can gain proficiency before entering the Live environment to register actual domain names. Note: All gtlds and cctlds are available in the Test environment; however, once you go live, you can only register domains in the TLDs for which you have qualified. The Test environment can be accessed via shared web interface (Quick Start) or customized scripts (Full Access). Similarly, there is an end user Manage Domain interface for the Test environment that can be accessed via shared web interface, or customized scripts. Note: Registrations submitted in the Test environment are not actually registered. 10

24 Getting Started The following table shows the URLs of our interfaces in the Live and Test environments: System Test Live Reseller Web Interface Manage Domain Interface resellers/ tor.opensrs.net/resellers/ Using Non-ASCII Characters for Messaging You must choose the proper encoding set in your browser for messaging that uses non-ascii characters such as accents. Otherwise, messages that are generated by the RWI may be scrambled. 11

25 Domain Registration and Management This section covers important concepts and processes that are important to understand as an authorized Tucows Reseller. The Reseller Web Interface (RWI) The Reseller Web Interface or RWI is a Tucows hosted interface that allows you to manage and review sales, and set some defaults that are important to the way domain registrations are offered. All Resellers, whether Quick Start or Full Access users, must use the RWI to manage some elements of their domain registration service. The RWI Login Journal When you log on to the RWI interface, you can use the Journal link to view the login information for the past 10 days. The Journal link is located beside your login name at the top right corner of the RWI page. Data Archiving To optimize system performance, Tucows archives older data on a regular basis. Your data is always preserved and the archived data is easily accessed. You can be assured that data is not archived for at least 6 months. The archiving schedule varies depending on the type of data, with more frequently accessed information retained in the Live environment for a longer period. For example, declined orders may be archived after 6 months, but Domain notes are not archived for at least 2 years. Where data is archived, you will see a checkbox that says Search archived data. If your search does not produce the results you want, you can select this checkbox to expand your search by viewing archived data. 12

26 Domain Registration and Management RWI Options The RWI looks like this (there are many more options than shown): The following sections describe the features available to Resellers via the RWI. 13

27 Domain Registration and Management Domain Registration Administration What's New This section notifies you of any new products or service offerings. You can click Learn More to display the Reseller Resource Center in a new browser and view information about the new product or service. View Domain The View Domain textbox allows you to enter a domain name and view details for that domain. When you click Query, a page opens that displays details about the specified domain. It allows you to renew the domain, change the renewal settings, change the domain lock settings, and change the parked pages settings. In the Change Parked Page Settings section, you can choose whether to enable or disable parked pages for that domain. If parked pages is enabled, you can choose whether or not the displayed page shows ads. The default is to show ads. New Domain Lookup This textbox allows you to check the availability of a domain name and request suggestions for similar, available names. You can specify the type of name suggestions that you want to see by clicking one or more of the following:! Display Suggested Names! Display Premium Domains! Display Generic TLDs! Display cctlds For more information, see "Domain Name Lookup". Place Order Manually This textbox allows you to enter the domain name (including TLD) that you want to register. All TLDS except.ca are supported; to register a new.ca domain, use the Place Order Manually for.ca link. Enter the domain name in the Place Order Manually field, and then click New Order. The system checks the availability of the domain name and opens the New Domain Registration Form page. A message is displayed at the top of the page that tells you whether the name you entered is available. If the name is available, complete the form and click Submit to submit the order. If the name is not available, you can enter another name in the Search Domain field at the top of the page and click Check Availability. For all new orders, the system checks the DNS settings that are on the Tech Contact Information page and auto-populates the DNS Information fields in the New Domain Registration Form. If necessary, you can override the autopopulated entries in the DNS Information fields and enter the 14

28 Domain Registration and Management nameservers that apply to this new domain. The nameservers entered on the New Domain Registration Form always take precedence over the entries in the Tech Contact Information page. Transfer a Domain This is where you can initiate a domain transfer. When you type the domain in the text box and click Transfer, the Transfer Form for [domain name] page opens. The Transfer Form for page allows you to enter and submit the transfer request. You can provide nameservers during a transfer order. Once the transfer is completed, you can change the nameservers again. Place Bulk Order Manually This interface allows for the registration of multiple domain names by using a file (upload)..ca Orders Place Order Manually for.ca This is where you register new.ca names. Place Transfer Manually for.ca This allows you to place a transfer for a.ca domain name View.CA Blocked Orders When a.ca domain name registration is requested that conflicts with an existing.ca domain name (for example, an order for chuck.on.ca conflicts with chuck.ca), a special process is invoked. This interface allows you to see the status of these orders..mobi Orders View Completed Orders Shows orders that have been processed. View Pending Orders Shows orders that are pending. 15

29 Domain Registration and Management.EU Orders View Processed Orders Shows orders that have been processed. View Waiting Orders Shows orders that are waiting to be processed. View Pending Orders Shows orders that have been processed and are pending. View Declined Orders Shows orders that have been declined..de Orders View.de Domains Waiting for Activation This is where a special process is invoked to provide an interface that allows you to see the status of these orders..us Orders Place Order Manually for.us This is where you can register.us names..name Orders Place Order Manually for.name This is where you can register.name domains. Place Transfer Manually for.name This allows you to place a transfer for.name. Domain Name Lookup The New Domain Lookup section allows you to check the availability of specific domain names and to obtain suggestions for other similar domain names. You can also choose whether you want to see results for generic TLDs (.COM,.NET,.ORG,.INFO,.BIZ), country code TLDs, or both. Note: The New Domain Lookup section is displayed only if you are enabled for the service. 16

30 Domain Registration and Management In order to provide you with the largest selection of names from which to choose, Tucows allows you to widen your search to include, not only domain names that are supplied by Tucows, but also domain names that may be purchased from external (non-tucows) suppliers; these are referred to as Premium domains. Many desirable domain names may already be taken, but the owners are willing to sell them for a price. When you perform a domain name lookup that includes Premium domains, the search results show whether the name you entered (or similar names if you also selected Display Suggested Names) is available from a non-tucows supplier, and also indicates the purchase price of the available Premium domain names. You can then purchase these Premium domain names through the Tucows RWI. Note: Premium domains that are purchased cannot be transferred away for 60 days. To search for domain names 1. In the Order Management section, select the type of results that you want to see by selecting one or more of the following:! Display Suggested Names! Display Premium Domains! Display Generic TLDs! Display cctlds 2. In the New Domain Lookup field, enter a name, word, or phrase, and click Check Availability. The system checks the availability of the name you entered for all of the domains for which you are a Reseller. If you selected Display Suggested Names, it also returns a list of similar names that are available. If you selected Display Premium Domains, the results include domain names that may be purchased from non-tucows suppliers, as well as the associated cost. 17

31 Domain Registration and Management 3. Do one of the following:! If the list includes an available name that you want, click Register. The New Domain Registration Form opens and autopopulates the Domain Name field with the selected domain name.! If there is a Premium name that you want, click Purchase. The Premium Domain Form opens and autopopulates the Domain Name field with the Premium domain name. Once you submit the completed order form, it is processed like any other domain name registration, except that the new expiry date for the domain will be one year from the old expiry date for that domain. Note: Due to the additional checks that are required to confirm availability and obtain Premium domains, the purchase process may take slightly longer than a new domain registration. To perform another search, enter a new name in the Domain Name Suggestion for field, and click Search. For example, if you select Display Suggested Names and Display Generic TLDs, and then you enter toy store in the New Domain Lookup field, the system returns a list of domain names that match or are similar to what you entered, and tells you whether the names are Available or Taken. If you also select Display Premium Domains, the search results include toy store (or similar) domain names that are for sale from non-tucows suppliers, and shows how much it would cost to purchase each name. Note: If a domain name has the status Undetermined, it means that the system could not connect to the applicable Registry to find out whether the name is available or not. 18

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33 Domain Registration and Management In the Available Related Domains section, you can choose the TLDs you want to see by selecting the appropriate checkboxes. The available domain types are those for which you are a registered Reseller. When you check the availability of a name, the service returns name suggestions for only the TLDs that you select. You can also specify the number of suggested domain names that you want to see on the page by selecting a number from the drop-down list; you set the default on the Name Suggestion Management page. Note: If a domain name has been registered within the last 24 hours, the Name Suggestion feature might indicate that it is Available, even though it is not. This is because the information that is used to determine availability could be up to 24 hours old. If you try to register a domain that was registered by someone else within the last 24 hours, a message informs you that the domain is not available. Name Suggestion Management The Name Suggestion Management page indicates whether the feature is currently enabled and displays the number of lookups that were performed during the previous month. It also allows you to configure the Name Suggestion feature and to view the number of lookups that were performed each month for the past six months. 1. In the Domain Management section of the RWI, click Name Suggestion Management. The Name Suggestion Management page opens. 2. Select Yes or No to determine whether alternate domain names are suggested when you check the availability of a domain name. 3. In the Default Results Display Value drop-down list, select the default number of related domain names that are displayed. 4. Click View to access the Name Suggestion Statistics page, which displays the number of lookups that are performed each month. Note: Statistics for the current month are not displayed, and only six months of data can be viewed. Click on a month to display the number of lookups performed each day. 20

34 Domain Registration and Management Check Availability Management The Check Availability Management page displays the number of domain name lookups that were performed during the previous month and indicates whether the lookup feature is currently enabled. It also allows you to specify the TLDs that are displayed in the domain name search results and to view the number of lookups that were performed each month for the past six months. To view and configure the Check Availability feature 1. In the Domain Management section of the RWI, click Check Availability Management. Click the radio buttons to determine the default domain name search options. If you set a display option to No on this page, you can still manually select the corresponding checkbox in the New Domain Lookup section of the main RWI page to see the related results; however, you will have to reselect it each time you do another search. 2. Select Yes or No to select whether to display generic or cctlds when you check the availability of a domain name or search for suggested names. 3. Click View to access the Check Availability Statistics page, which displays the number of lookups that were performed each month. Note: Statistics for the current month are not displayed, and only six months of data can be viewed. 21

35 Domain Registration and Management 4. Click on a month to display the number of lookups performed each day. Premium Domains Management The Premium Domains Management page indicates whether the feature is currently enabled and displays the number of lookups that were performed during the previous month. It also allows you to configure the Premium Domains feature and to view the number of lookups that were performed each month for the past six months. 1. In the Domain Management section of the RWI, click Premium Domains Management. The Premium Domains Management page opens. 2. Select Yes or No to determine whether Premium domain names that are available from non-tucows suppliers are displayed when you check the availability of a domain name. 3. Click View to access the Premium Domains Statistics page, which displays the number of lookups performed each month. Note: Statistics for the current month are not displayed, and only six months of data can be viewed. 4. Click on a month to display the number of lookups performed each day. 22

36 Domain Registration and Management View Orders View Pending Orders This feature allows you to view orders you have entered into the system as pending, using several criteria. These orders are not acted on until you enter this area and approve them. Also, if an order fails for any reason, (for example, incorrect registration term or bad phone number format), it is put into this section for you to review. This function was primarily designed to work with the Full Access implementation of OpenSRS, where end users submit orders, you mark them as pending, and then approve them (perhaps after getting payment). You also have the option to select all pending orders for processing or cancellation by clicking the [+] button at the top of either the process or cancel column. Note: Orders that have been in a pending state for more than 30 days, with 30 days of inactivity, are automatically canceled. Under certain circumstances, the Tucows system sends a notification to the Reseller Technical Contact when an order enters Pending Orders status. The criteria are as follows:! Process Orders Immediately is set to Yes.! handle flag via the API is set to process.! Reseller has sufficient funds in their account. This feature is disabled by default, and you can enable this notification via Tech Contact Information. Following is a sample of the that is sent to the reseller: To : Reseller Technical Contact From: OpenSRS Support reseller-support@opensrs.org Subject: {{reg_type}} order for {{domain}} failed Order {{order_id}} was not processed successfully. Following is the order information: Domain: Reg-type: Order ID: {{domain}} {{reg_type}} {{order_id}} More information may be found in the order notes for this request under "Pending Orders". OpenSRS Support 23

37 Domain Registration and Management View Orders in Progress This feature allows you to view domain orders/transfers/renewals that have been initiated by either yourself or an end user through your online interface. Orders that are in process can include domain transfers, and registrations into any asynchronous registries. Synchronous new name registrations (.com.net and.org) never appear here, as they are processed in real time. View Declined Orders Use this view to review and resubmit orders that were declined (for various reasons) by the registry or canceled during the transfer process View Completed Orders This feature allows you to view domain orders/transfers/renewals that have been completed. Note: Each order-status category in the View Orders section includes the total number of your orders for that category. In the following example, 17 orders are pending, 7 are in progress, and 8 are declined: Transfer Views Waiting Owner Approval This view shows transfer orders awaiting the Administrative contact approval/declination. Waiting Registrar Review Transfers in this step are awaiting review by the Tucows administrative department. Waiting Registry Approval Transfers in this view show orders sent to the registry for approval. Transfers Away Domains in this view show domains that have a request to be transferred to another registrar or reseller. 24

38 Domain Registration and Management Cancel Orders Use this setting to cancel pending and/or declined orders that were created more than X number of days ago. To cancel both pending and declined orders, select both. The default setting is 100 days. Note: If more than 500 orders exist, only 500 will be canceled at a time. Requests Queuing Settings Use these settings to have the OpenSRS system automatically queue transactions if a supplier (registry) is offline or having communications problems. Once the supplier is available, the queued orders will automatically be processed. You can choose which supplier(s) you would like to have orders queued for. View Queued Requests Use this option to view any orders that may be queued as a result of a registry being unavailable. You can also cancel any order from this view. Requests Submitted to Registry This feature allows you to search for requests that have been submitted to a Registry based on their current status. Search Reg System Orders Once you have registered some domain names, you can use this form to search for a specific registration. You can also search for any of your domains (whether new or transferred) at any point in the process once it has entered the OpenSRS system. If your account has so many domains that your searches take inordinately long to carry out, try limiting the amount of searches returned by using the Limit to Last option. If your search does not produce the results you want, you can try expanding your search to view archived data. To optimize system performance, Tucows archives older data on a regular basis. Your data is always preserved and the archived data is easily accessed. 25