WHOIS in the Domain Name System (DNS)
Garth O. Bruen · 2015
Here, we explain the role of WHOIS in the greater context of the Internet, why the records exist where they do, and what they mean in supporting the complexities of the global network. The variety of different Internet records and who maintains them are described. Deeper parts of the Internet that do not have records are also reviewed along with the problems presented by missing records and record forgery.