Core Registry Operations

Relevant primarily to registry operators.

Zone support

FRED supports a variety of DNS zone types, including country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs), generic top-level domains (gTLDs), and second-level domains (SLDs).

Automated zone generation

FRED includes a registry backend, API, and client for generating zone files on either the registry core machine or a hidden master. Generation is configurable per zone and supports post-run script execution. This can be, for example, used to validate output or notify operators of failure. Zone files generated can also be customised with headers and footers.

Configurable domain lifecycle

The duration of specific periods in the domain lifecycle – such as registration, renewal, and expiry windows – can be customised per zone.

Domain auto-renewal

FRED supports setting up automatic renewal for domains that expire.

Anti-drop catching

To reduce the incentive for drop catching, FRED releases expired domains at randomised intervals rather than at a fixed, predictable time. This makes it significantly harder for automated systems to target and register domains the moment they become available.

Domain auctions

FRED supports an optional domain auction lifecycle for expired and deleted domains. Rather than releasing domains immediately to EPP registrars, eligible domains can be auctioned publicly, giving any interested party the opportunity to acquire them. This broadens access beyond professional domainers and reduces the volume of speculative EPP traffic from registrars monitoring for drops.

Object grouping and shared relation management

Nameservers and DNSSEC keys are represented as shared set objects at the registry level – NS sets (nssets) and key sets (keysets) – rather than being attached to individual domains. This allows multiple domains to reference the same set, reducing duplication and simplifying bulk updates. Registrars can also be assigned to groups for organisational purposes.

Registry object locking

FRED provides a range of object states that control permissions for operations such as updates, linking, deletion, and transfer. States can be set by the registry operator; a defined subset can also be requested directly by registrants, giving domain holders some degree of self-service control over their objects.

Registry object name validation

FRED can be configured to enforce naming rules for domain objects. The default enforces RFC 1035 preferred syntax, and additional custom rules may be added to meet local policy or regulatory requirements.

Domain blacklist

FRED supports a configurable blacklist that prevents registration of specific domain names. Both exact matches and regular expressions are supported.

DNSSEC

FRED supports DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) out of the box. The registry manages the creation, storage, and manipulation of DNSSEC keys internally, while the zone-signing process is delegated to external tools. This separation gives operators the flexibility to choose whichever DNSSEC tooling best meets their security and performance requirements.

DNSSEC automation

FRED supports Automated Key Management (AKM) as defined by RFC 7344 and RFC 8078, allowing domain holders to delegate DNS key administration to the registry by publishing CDNSKEY records.

Registry superadmin registrar

FRED supports the concept of system and internal registrars with elevated privileges. These accounts can view and edit objects belonging to standard registrars through EPP.

Registry data escrow

FRED supports Registry Data Escrow, an ICANN-required feature for compliant registries. It generates periodic exports of registry data in a defined format that can be used to reconstruct the registry on an alternative system in the event of provider failure.