Exploring “DNS+”: The Next Evolution of Internet Addressing and Governance

Domain Name System (DNS) has been around for four decades, and with the rise of cloud computing, industrial internet, blockchain, and IPv6, network identifier services have become increasingly integrated, platform‑wide, and governed diversely, giving birth to the “DNS+” concept that expands DNS into a broader ecosystem of network identifiers.

On 31 October 2023, at the “DNS+ Interconnectivity, Addressing First” sub‑forum of the Cloud Expo, Alibaba Cloud, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, and Tsinghua University’s Institute of Network Science and Cyberspace jointly released the “DNS+ Development White Paper (2023)”. The white paper received strong endorsements from Academician Wu Hequan of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Paul Mockapetris, the father of DNS.

Academician Wu highlighted that the Internet now permeates every aspect of society, while DNS quietly guides each network request. Over its lifespan DNS has faced explosive growth in users and domain names, emergence of new services, and heightened security concerns. Although its architecture continues to evolve, emerging scenarios—such as the IPv6‑dominant era, the surge of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and geopolitical uncertainties affecting DNS governance—place ever‑greater demands on the system, making ongoing innovation indispensable.

Liang Zhuo, head of Alibaba Cloud’s DNS team, noted that the convergence of multiple industry verticals makes identifier resolution a critical service entry point, and that DNS‑related new identifier services are vital for the stable operation of network interconnection, demanding attention from all stakeholders.

The white paper offers a framework for understanding “DNS+” from the perspectives of new technologies, emerging business models, and evolving governance. It aims to facilitate coordination among academia, industry, and research to deepen the integration of DNS+ with the broader digital transformation, and to contribute to the safety, stability, and technological innovation of this emerging infrastructure.