Before the DNS: how yours truly upstaged the NIC's official HOSTS.TXT (2004)
And in 1995, when the Defense Information Systems Agency was building the classified SIPRnet, the principal network manager wanted to use HOSTS.TXT tables instead of the DNS, because they thought it would be easier. They also wanted to use random network numbers pulled out of their ass, for the same reason.<p>Fortunately, I got wind of this, and as the DISA.MIL Technical POC, I had a meeting with them. Ultimately, I was able to convince them of the folly of their ways, and to use real DNS servers as registered from the NIC, and to use real network numbers as registered from the NIC.<p>The kicker was that I knew they ultimately wanted to be able to connect the classified SIPRnet to the “unwashed masses”, through a mythical “multi level secure gateway” that the NSA was supposedly building which would theoretically keep the truly classified stuff from touching the unclassified stuff.<p>But how would you route packets from one side to the other, if you had colliding network numbers because one side just pulled random numbers out of their ass?<p>How would you connect through to the unclassified side, if you weren’t using the “real” DNS?<p>Yes, this was 1995, and they still thought HOSTS.TXT files were a good idea.<p>To those of you who have used SIPRnet, you’re welcome.