Why do browsers not use SRV records?

browser dns srv
fadedbee picture fadedbee · Jan 30, 2012 · Viewed 26.3k times · Source

Why do browsers not use SRV records?

It seems like a minimal amount of work and it will make the server-side implementation of reliable websites much simpler.

For example, you can specify tiers, such that www.example.com resolves to 1.2.3.4 and 2.3.4.5, and only if neither of those are available, try 4.5.6.7.

SRV records have been around for years...

Is there something I'm missing here?

Answer

Teddy picture Teddy · Jan 30, 2012

The RFC for SRV records specifies that it may not be used by pre-existing protocols which did not already specify the use of SRV records in their specifications. I.e. no SRV in the HTTP spec - browsers are, by the SRV standard, prohibited from using it.

This does not prohibit a new HTTP 1.2 standard from specifying the use of SRV records, though. However, Mark Andrews proposed this in April 2007 to the IETF HTTP working group, but got no response.

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