What are Zone Files?

The Top-Level Domain (TLD) Zone Files are the database files maintained by Verisign Global Registry  Services (other registries also maintain similar zone files). These map the active Second-Level Domain Names (.com, .net) with their unique Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. There are separate files for each of the .com and .net TLDs. 

You should have access to the zone files and be able to download the zone files to your system to use this software.

Any one can apply for and gain access to the Verisign TLD zone file program. This will allow you to download the zone files from an FTP server. Please note that a signed agreement is required to gain access and you have to agree to the ICANN specified terms and conditions.

You can find details regarding the TLD zone file access program through a Google search

Using the software

Domain Zone Processor allows you to extract domain names from the huge zone files.  The domain names may be extracted based on specific criteria. These include

• Domain names longer than 'n' characters

• Domain names shorter than 'n' characters  

• Domain names that doesn't contain specified characters

• Domain names that use specific name servers

• Domain Names that contain specific sub-strings

For example, using the software it is possible to extract all 5,6,7,8 character domain names that do not include the characters -, Z and Y and uses the name server NS1.EXAMPLENAMESERVER

Important: Please do not use the domain extension when specifying name servers. For example, use
NS1.EXAMPLENAMESERVER
and not
NS1.EXAMPLENAMESERVER.COM

The Zone File > Use the "Open Zone" button to specify a zone file.  Please note that you may need to unzip the zone file after downloading. Use the commercial Winzip or the free gzip for this.

Settings >  Use the various options in the main screen to specify the extraction settings.

If you do not specify any name servers, all domains that satisfy the other specified conditions are extracted.

Output File Name >  Currently the extracted names are saved into a simple text file.  You will be prompted for the file name when you start the extraction.  The names are written on name per line with CRLF breaks.

Extract..., Abort & Pause >   Use the Extract Domain Names (or Extract Name Servers) button to start the extraction. The number of lines (in the zone file) that have been processed and the number of domain names extracted so far will be displayed in the lower window panel.

The Abort button will abort the operation.  The output file will contain the names extracted so far.

Pause button will pause the name extraction.  Zone processor uses  considerable amount of system resources. In slow systems it is better not to use any other software while running Zone Processor.  However such systems may take long time to complete the process and will block you from doing anything else. In such cases use the "Pause" button to pause zone processor, do whatever task you need to do and then come back.  The screen-shot below shows the performance graph (Microsoft Performance Log Graph) when the pause button is pressed.

The Pause button is not really required if you are using a fast system with a good amount of memory.

TIPS

• Use a fast system with large amount of memory while processing zone files. More the memory, the better.  

• Use the settings to extract only the required names.  If you are not looking for domains that have digits then type them into the "Ignore Domains that contain..." box.  For example typing 0123456789 into that box will ensure that all domains that include a digit are ignored.

• If you need to convert the names into an MDB file, use Microsoft Access and import the output (text) file. Microsoft Access is very efficient and can import large lists.  We will however try to provide an option to create MDB files directly in the near future.

• The fastest way to create a large WMD ISP compatible MDB file is the following.

  1. Use WMD ISP to create the MDB file.

  2. Open the MDB file in Microsoft Access

  3. Import the domain names from the text file

  4. Close Access and open the MDB file using WMD ISP.