What is Internet Assigned Numbers Authority?
{{Infobox organization |name = IANA|logo = |type = |founded_date = 1988|founder = U.S. government|location = [[Playa Vista, California]], U.S.|origins = |key_people = Elise Gerich|area_served = |product = |focus = Manage [[Domain Name System|DNS]] root zones|method = |revenue = |endowment = |num_volunteers = |num_employees = |num_members = |subsib = |owner = [[Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers|ICANN]]|Non-profit_slogan = |homepage = www.iana.org/|dissolved = |footnotes = }} The '''Internet Assigned Numbers Authority''' ('''IANA''') is a department of [[ICANN]]. IANA is a nonprofit [[corporation]] that handles many Internet-related symbols and numbers. ==Responsibilities== IANA is in charge of allocating numbers like IP addresses used in Internet protocols. These protocols are published in Request for Comments (RFC) documents. IANA works with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the RFC editorial team. Assigning [[IP address|IP addresses]] and [[Domain name|domain names]] needs more administration. IANA delegates these to smaller administrations because of the many layers involved. ===IP addresses=== IANA gives IP addresses in blocks to [[Regional internet registry|regional internet registries]] (RIRs). Each RIR assigns addresses for a different part of the world. All the RIRs formed the [[Number Resource Organization]] to coordinate with each other. RIRs split their address pools into smaller chunks and give them to Internet service providers in their region. IANA assigns addresses with a /8 prefix for [[IPv4]]. It also assigns [[IPv6]] addresses with /23 and /12 prefixes. These IPv6 addresses come from the 2000::/3 IPv6 address block. Because IPv4 addresses have run out, IANA does not assign them any more. ===Domain names=== IANA also manages the top layer of the [[Domain Name System|Domain name system]] (DNS). It works with many different server operators and policy makers from ICANN. IANA also manages .int domains for international organizations, and .arpa for reverse DNS. ===Pro