Very bizarre hosting/networking question

[ADAM Web Design]

Forgive me if this is in the wrong forum, but I can't see any other one that this question would fit since I don't know all that much about networking (I can hook the wires up and configure stuff if I have instructions, but that's it):

Anyway, a client of mine is hosted with is.nl. I was trying to figure something out using some of IS's other clients, which my client told me were on this page:

http://www.is.nl/pages/overons/referenties.asp

The one that caught my eye was the Microsoft one (microsoft.nl). So I clicked on it, and it took me to microsoft.com/netherlands .

I know that it's possible for is.nl to host microsoft.nl and have it set as a redirect to microsoft.com/netherlands using a Win2K server (since I do something similar with my dedicated box and IMail). But that doesn't explain to me how is.nl can take credit for hosting the site if a little common sense would indicate that Microsoft's primary DNS servers would be situated in Redmond, Washington, and pointing to the Microsoft network.

So I guess my question is this: is it at all possible for the domain name microsoft.com to be configured in such a way as to allow a subdirectory to be hosted by a host, such as is.nl, which is not within the Microsoft hosting network? And if so, how? (Please provide a nice stupid dummy-type answer since networking isn't my bag.)

Thanks.

[M0rtym0use]

ADAMWebDesign,
it would not be possible for any company other than ms to legally host any other site due to ms's strict copyright restrictions etc.

you will find that the one in question is actually a referal address so the domain is actually just a redirect to microsofts server, they actually have a lot of these for different languages/countries.

for example some companies have a www.myname.co.uk which point to uk.myname.com for myname.co/uk arre just a few examples.
this is all controlled by the nameserver where a domain lies...

hope that explains it a bit...

mm

[ADAM Web Design]

Just to clarify: MS's site can be hosted by Microsoft and only Microsoft, right?

[M0rtym0use]

Well MS being MS you can surely bet that this would be the case just look at the recent legal procedings against the high school guy who registered mikerowesoft.com

it is very very very unlikely that microsoft would allow anyone other than themselves host any sites

it would be like the us senate allowing the chinese government to pass laws maybe a bad example i dunno
but a company of microsofts size would never allow for such risk

the microsoft.nl is basically a quick link to the dutch version of MS and to be fair on the website that shows the url it is on a referal page....

MM

[rackaid]

The .nl registry is very strict. It could be that this company is just serving as the registrar for the .nl domain. If I remember correctly, you have to have a presence in the Netherlands to get a .nl domain. Also, only a few non Netherlands companies can registrar .nl domains. Once the domain is registred, it can be repointed to anywhere.