The Official Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)

What is IANA?

IANA, or the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, is a body whose purpose is to manage the allocation of unique identifiers on the Internet. It was formed in 1992 by the Internet Society (ISOC) to coordinate the maintenance and methodologies of various databases that pertain to the users of the Internet.

What Does IANA Do?

IANA’s primary role is to coordinate the assignment and allocation of various parameters that are used in the Internet Protocols. These include port numbers, domain names, protocol parameters, IP addresses, and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs). IANA plays an important role in the protocol development process by allocating specific number ranges for protocol identifiers and well-known port numbers.

In addition, IANA is responsible for maintaining several databases related to IP address allocations, country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), and other Internet-related resources. It also manages the Root Zone Database, which contains information about all the active Top Level Domains (TLDs) on the Internet.

Summary

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is an organization responsible for the global coordination of unique identifiers and parameters used in the Internet protocols. The organization plays an important role in the development and maintenance of the Internet, controlling the allocation of IP addresses, domain names, Autonomous System Numbers, and other identifiers that are used by various online services.