Nominet launches open-source DNS for Windows

Nominet's open-source domain name server will work on all Windows operating systems

UK domain registrar Nominet has announced the launch of Unbound, an open-source domain name server (DNS) designed to work on all Windows operating systems.

The platform was developed in conjunction with NLnet Labs, a non-profit research foundation aimed at providing open-source and open-standards tools for internet communication.

The launch will help to push the development of DNS Security Extensions (DNSSec), and provides an alternative to the hugely popular Unix-based Berkeley Internet Name Domain (Bind) server.

"DNS is an incredibly important but completely hidden part of the internet," said Lesley Cowley, chief executive at Nominet. "Continued development of Unbound is an important part of ensuring that the DNS infrastructure is kept up to date and protected against security threats."

Windows Unbound is IPv6 compatible, a vital component to the growth of the internet as the number of IP-connected devices and domain names continues to soar. It can also perform DNSSec validation checks on the data by using digital signatures to help combat a range of security exploits, such as DNS cache poisoning, by verifying that the information it retrieves is correct and authentic.

"Unbound was already available on Unix varieties such as Linux, OS X and FreeBSD. But we are keen for as many users as possible to reap the benefits from Unbound, which is why we have made it available to Windows platforms," said Wouter Wijngaards, the project's leader at NLnet Labs.

"There are millions of Windows users, and it is great that we can now offer our high-performance, secure alternative to Bind for more platforms."

Windows Unbound can be freely downloaded from the Unbound download page, and can be used in other products under the BSD licence.