Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • 2021
  • Article
  • Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media

Evidence of Decreasing Internet Entropy: The Lack of Redundancy in DNS Resolution by Major Websites and Services

By: Samantha Bates, John Bowers, Shane Greenstein, Jordi Weinstock, Jonathan Zittrain and Yunhan Xu
  • Format:Electronic
ShareBar

Abstract

This paper analyzes the extent to which the Internet’s global domain name resolution (DNS) system has preserved its distributed resilience given the rise of cloud-based hosting and infrastructure. We explore trends in the concentration of the DNS space since at least 2011. In addition, we examine changes in domains’ tendency to “diversify” their pool of nameservers—how frequently domains employ DNS management services from multiple providers rather than just one provider—a comparatively costless and therefore puzzlingly rare decision that could supply redundancy and resilience in the event of an attack or service outage affecting one provider.

Keywords

Domain Name System; Resilience; Entropy; Internet and the Web; Infrastructure; Performance Effectiveness; Safety; Cybersecurity

Citation

Bates, Samantha, John Bowers, Shane Greenstein, Jordi Weinstock, Jonathan Zittrain, and Yunhan Xu. "Evidence of Decreasing Internet Entropy: The Lack of Redundancy in DNS Resolution by Major Websites and Services." Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media 1 (2021).
  • Read Now

About The Author

Shane M. Greenstein

Technology and Operations Management
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • November 2022 (Revised January 2023)
    • Faculty Research

    Hugging Face: Serving AI on a Platform

    By: Shane Greenstein, Daniel Yue, Kerry Herman and Sarah Gulick
    • September 6, 2022
    • Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics

    Creating a Platform for Costless Personalization in Clothing

    By: Shane Greenstein
    • August 2022
    • AEI Digital Platforms and American Life Project

    The U.S. Approach to Antitrust Policy in Technology Markets

    By: Shane Greenstein
More from the Authors
  • Hugging Face: Serving AI on a Platform By: Shane Greenstein, Daniel Yue, Kerry Herman and Sarah Gulick
  • Creating a Platform for Costless Personalization in Clothing By: Shane Greenstein
  • The U.S. Approach to Antitrust Policy in Technology Markets By: Shane Greenstein
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College