Subject: Seeking Your Opinion on RSSAC Liaison Proposal – Context and Next Steps
Dear NARALO Colleagues,
I’m including you in this discussion as I seek input from the group regarding the possibility of establishing a liaison role between ALAC/At-Large and the Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC).
To provide better context for understanding this issue, I wanted to share some background information on where things currently stand.
As some of you may know, I’ve been exploring the idea of a liaison role for quite some time, driven by the growing need to ensure end-user representation in discussions around root server operations. Root servers are a critical part of the Internet’s infrastructure, and recent incidents have underscored the importance of having a strong end-user perspective in the decision-making processes that affect the Internet’s accessibility and stability.
Given that RSSAC currently does not have formal liaisons with ICANN structures like ALAC, I’m advocating for establishing this relationship to help bridge the gap between technical discussions and the needs of the broader user community.
For moving forward, I’d love to hear your opinions on this idea. What are your thoughts on establishing this liaison role? Do you think it’s something that could benefit the community? Any suggestions for how we might approach this or next steps to take?
Looking forward to your feedback!
Best regards,
Mohibul Mahmud
RSSAC Caucus & NARALO Member
On Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 11:55 AM Mohibul Mahmud <mohibul.mahmud@gmail.com> wrote:Subject: Follow-up on RSSAC Liaison ProposalDear Greg,Thank you for your thoughtful response and the valuable recommendations. I wanted to clarify a few points regarding my interest in establishing a liaison role between ALAC/At-Large and RSSAC.As a current member of the RSSAC, my suggestion for a liaison relationship is not driven by personal interest, but rather by a broader concern for the end-user group. Root servers are a critical part of the Internet ecosystem, and recent incidents have highlighted the need for greater awareness and oversight from the end-user perspective. Ensuring that the activities of the RSSAC align with the interests and benefits of the end-user group seems more important than ever.The absence of a formal liaison does not diminish the importance of this relationship. I believe that fostering closer collaboration between ALAC/At-Large and RSSAC will ensure that the end-user community has an informed voice in the decision-making process related to root server operations, which directly impacts the accessibility, security, and stability of the Internet.I understand that this idea is unconventional, but I strongly believe that creating this liaison role could greatly benefit the broader community.Thank you once again for your insights, and I look forward to your thoughts on this matter.Best regards,Mohibul MahmudRSSAC Caucus & NARLO MemberOn Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 11:24 AM Greg Shatan [NARALO] <gregshatanalac@gmail.com> wrote:All,I have done some brief research. The RSSAC does not currently have liaisons to or from other ICANN structures other than SSAC. I have seen no record of past liaisons either on the RSSAC site. Current liaisons are to or from other technical bodies or root zone specific bodies.
I don’t know if ALAC ever had a liaison relationship with RSSAC; I assume not, but always happy to learn something new.I recommend the following two steps:1. Mohibul you should look into joining the RSSAC Caucus. As you probably know, this is an open organization for those with Root Zone expertise and interest. This will give you good experience and insight.2. ALAC, the At-Large appointments committee and/or Staff could consider whether there is ALAC/At-Large interest in a liaison relationship; if so, the next step would be contacting the RSSAC Chair to see if there is any RSSAC interest in a liaison relationship.Since there is no such position at the moment, there is no process or timeline related to such a position.Best,Greg____________________Greg ShatanChair, NARALOOn Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 11:57 Mohibul Mahmud <mohibul.mahmud@gmail.com> wrote:Subject: Following Up: Status on At-Large Liaison Interest to RSSAC
Dear Heidi,
I hope this email finds you well.
I’m writing to follow up on my previous message from June 5th regarding my expressed interest in the At-Large liaison role to the Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC).
Given the time that has passed, could you please provide a brief status update on this matter? I am eager to understand the process timeline and when we might expect the next steps or information regarding this potential engagement.
As always, please don't hesitate to let me know if there’s any further information I can provide on my end to help move this forward.
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Warm regards,
Mohibul Mahmud
On Thu, Jun 5, 2025 at 1:30 PM Mohibul Mahmud <mohibul.mahmud@gmail.com> wrote:Dear Heidi,Thank you for the update—I appreciate your response. Please let me know if there’s anything I can provide in the meantime.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Warm regards,
MohibulOn Wed, Jun 4, 2025 at 6:57 PM Heidi Ullrich <Heidi.Ullrich@icann.org> wrote:Hi Mohibul,
Thank you for your interest in At-Large and RSSAC. Many apologies for the delay in responding.
We are looking into your request. I’ll be in touch shortly.
Kind regards,Heidi
On Jun 4, 2025, at 9:39 PM, Mohibul Mahmud <mohibul.mahmud@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Heidi,
I hope you are doing well. In case you missed my previous email.
I wanted to kindly follow up on my previous emails regarding my interest in aligning my background and experience with RSSAC’s work, particularly in DNS operations, root server monitoring, and incident response. I am also eager to further explore the possibility of contributing through a liaison role from the At-Large community to RSSAC.
As highlighted earlier, I bring over a decade of experience in DNS and infrastructure operations, complemented by my current role as a Cloud Engineer at Microsoft. My ICANN engagement through the ICANN82 Fellowship, coupled with active participation in NARALO and public policy outreach, has further fueled my commitment to contributing meaningfully to ICANN’s technical advisory efforts.
I would greatly appreciate your guidance on how we might move this conversation forward and whether there are any additional steps I should take to facilitate this process. Your insights would be immensely valuable in shaping my potential contribution to RSSAC.
In case you are unavailable, I am also including ICANN At-Large Staff (staff@atlarge.icann.org) to ensure the continuity of this discussion.
Please let me know if there’s any further information I can provide. I truly appreciate your time and support and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Warm regards,
Mohibul
CC: Jonathan Zuck, Greg Shatan, Glenn McKnight
On Thu, May 29, 2025 at 8:18 AM Mohibul Mahmud <mohibul.mahmud@gmail.com> wrote:
Subject: Follow-Up on RSSAC Liaison Engagement Discussion
Dear Heidi,
I hope you are doing well.
I wanted to kindly follow up on my previous emails regarding my interest in aligning my background and experience with RSSAC’s work, particularly in DNS operations, root server monitoring, and incident response. I am also eager to further explore the possibility of contributing through a liaison role from the At-Large community to RSSAC.
As highlighted earlier, I bring over a decade of experience in DNS and infrastructure operations, complemented by my current role as a Cloud Engineer at Microsoft. My ICANN engagement through the ICANN82 Fellowship, coupled with active participation in NARALO and public policy outreach, has further fueled my commitment to contributing meaningfully to ICANN’s technical advisory efforts.
I would greatly appreciate your guidance on how we might move this conversation forward and whether there are any additional steps I should take to facilitate this process. Your insights would be immensely valuable in shaping my potential contribution to RSSAC.
In case you are unavailable, I am also including ICANN At-Large Staff (staff@atlarge.icann.org) to ensure the continuity of this discussion.
Please let me know if there’s any further information I can provide. I truly appreciate your time and support and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Warm regards,
Mohibul
CC: Jonathan Zuck, Greg Shatan, Glenn McKnight
On Tue, May 27, 2025 at 3:11 PM Mohibul Mahmud <mohibul.mahmud@gmail.com> wrote:
Subject: Follow-Up on RSSAC liaison Engagement Discussion
Dear Heidi,
I hope you are doing well and had a pleasant Memorial Day weekend.
I wanted to kindly follow up on my previous email regarding the potential alignment of my background and experience with RSSAC’s work, particularly in DNS operations, root server monitoring, and incident response. I’m also eager to further explore the possibility of contributing through a liaison role from the At-Large community to RSSAC.
As shared in my earlier message, I bring over a decade of experience in DNS and infrastructure operations, complemented by my current role as a Cloud Engineer at Microsoft. My ICANN engagement through the ICANN82 Fellowship, coupled with active participation in NARALO and public policy outreach, has further fueled my commitment to contributing to ICANN’s technical advisory efforts.
I would greatly appreciate your guidance on how we might move this conversation forward and whether there are additional steps I should take to facilitate this process. Your insights would be immensely valuable in shaping my potential contribution to RSSAC.
Please let me know if there’s any further information I can provide. I truly appreciate your time and support and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Warm regards,
Mohibul
CC: Jonathan Zuck, Greg Shatan, Glenn McKnight
On Fri, May 23, 2025 at 5:06 PM Mohibul Mahmud <mohibul.mahmud@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello,
Just for reference. You could find my profile also on ICANN WiKi
I wish you all a nice Weekend.
BestMohibul
On Fri, May 23, 2025 at 1:54 PM Mohibul Mahmud <mohibul.mahmud@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Jonathan,
Happy Friday! I hope this message finds you well.
I wanted to kindly follow up on my previous emails regarding my interest in aligning my background with the work of the RSSAC, particularly in DNS operations, root server monitoring, and incident response. I’m especially interested in exploring the potential of contributing through a liaison role from the At-Large community to RSSAC.
For context—especially for those copied for visibility—I have over a decade of experience in DNS and infrastructure operations, including configuring and maintaining ccTLD root servers in Bangladesh and working as a Network/DNS administrator in the ISP sector. In my current role as a Cloud Engineer at Microsoft, I continue to work on monitoring, observability, and threat mitigation. My ICANN engagement began with ICANN82 as a Fellow, and since then I have actively participated in NARALO discussions and public policy outreach, with a strong desire to contribute to ICANN’s technical advisory efforts.
Given my background and Glenn’s encouragement, I am hoping to gain your perspective on how the liaison role could be structured and how I might best position myself to contribute meaningfully. I am also open to any additional guidance or follow-ups that might be helpful to facilitate the conversation.
Thank you again for your time and consideration. I appreciate your support and look forward to your response.
Warm regards,
Mohibul
On Thu, May 15, 2025 at 12:44 PM Mohibul Mahmud <mohibul.mahmud@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Jonathan,
I hope you are doing well.
I wanted to kindly follow up on my previous email from May 14 regarding my interest in aligning my background and
experience with RSSAC’s work, particularly in areas such as DNS operations, root server monitoring, and incident response. I also wanted to reiterate my keen interest in understanding how the liaison role from AT-Large to RSSAC could be structured and how I might effectively contribute in that capacity.
Your guidance and perspective on how I can best position myself for further engagement would be immensely valuable. Please let me know if there is any additional information I can provide to facilitate the discussion.
Thank you once again for your continued support. I look forward to hearing from you.
Warm regards,
Mohibul
ICANN 82 Fellow | Cloud Engineer at Microsoft
On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 9:42 AM Mohibul Mahmud <mohibul.mahmud@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Jonathan,
I hope you’re doing well.
I wanted to kindly follow up on my previous email from May 12 regarding the potential alignment of my background and experience with RSSAC’s work, particularly in areas such as DNS operations, root server monitoring, and incident response. Additionally, I would appreciate any insights you might have on how a liaison role from AT-Large to RSSAC could be structured and how I might effectively contribute in that capacity.
Your guidance on how to best position myself for further engagement would be immensely valuable. Please let me know if there’s any further information I can provide to facilitate the discussion.
Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to your response.
Warm regards,
Mohibul
ICANN 82 Fellow | Cloud Engineer at Microsoft
On Mon, May 12, 2025 at 2:32 PM Mohibul Mahmud <mohibul.mahmud@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Glenn and Jonathan,
Thank you, Glenn, for bringing this to Jonathan’s attention. I truly appreciate your continued support and guidance.
Jonathan, as Glenn mentioned, I am keen on exploring the possibility of aligning my background and experience with the work of RSSAC, especially in areas such as DNS operations, root server monitoring, and incident response. Additionally, I’d like to understand how a liaison role from AT-Large to RSSAC could be structured and how I might contribute effectively in that capacity.
Your insights on how I can best position myself for further engagement would be incredibly valuable. I’m eager to hear your perspective and recommendations.
Thank you both for your continued support.
Warm regards,
Mohibul
ICANN 82 Fellow | Cloud Engineer at Microsoft
On Mon, May 12, 2025 at 1:39 PM Glenn McKnight <mcknight.glenn@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi JonathanI reviewed the list of ALAC Liaisons for the rep for RSSAC but it appears that it is not included in this page
Mohbiul is interested in RSSAC and the possibility of being a liaison from AT-Large
Note from Mohibul
I was referred to you by Glenn McKnight, who mentioned that you could provide valuable insights on the relationship between RALO and RSSAC. As someone with extensive experience in Internet infrastructure, DNS administration, and cybersecurity, I am eager to contribute meaningfully to RSSAC and deepen my engagement with ICANN's technical advisory bodies.
Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work extensively with DNS systems, having completed my ccTLD name server training with Bill Manning and actively participated in configuring and maintaining root server instances in Bangladesh. My technical journey also includes working as a Network and DNS administrator for over a decade in the ISP sector and my current role as a Cloud Engineer at Microsoft, focusing on monitoring, observability, and security practices.
I believe my background aligns well with RSSAC’s mission, particularly in areas such as DNS operations, root server monitoring, and incident response. Additionally, I am enthusiastic about contributing to ongoing projects that address DNS abuse, resolver behavior, and threat mitigation.
Could you kindly share your perspective on how I could best position myself for active participation in RSSAC? Any guidance on aligning my technical background with the current focus areas or projects within RSSAC would be incredibly helpful.
Thank you very much for your time, and I look forward to the possibility of connecting with you.
Warm regards,
Mohibul
ICANN 82 Fellow | Cloud Engineer at Microsoft
Glenn McKnight, MAVirtual School of Internet GovernanceChief Information OfficerYOUR SOURCE FOR INTERNET GOVERNANCE EDUCATIONMobile 437-237-4655