named mystery

[Derek Ragona]

At 01:24 PM 12/11/2007, Bill Vermillion wrote:
>On Tue, Dec 11, 2007 at 18:23 , while impersonating an expert on
>the internet, freebsd-questions-request at freebsd.org sent this to stdout:
>
> > Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2007 06:09:11 -0600
> > From: Derek Ragona <derek at computinginnovations.com>
> > Subject: Re: named mystery
> > To: jekillen <jekillen at prodigy.net>,  User Questions > 
> <freebsd-questions at freebsd.org>
>
> > At 12:57 AM 12/10/2007, jekillen wrote:
> > >Hello:
>
> > >I have two name servers for four domains.
> > >The primary name server is running FreeBSD v 6.0
> > >and the secondary is running v 6.2.
> > >I have an MX record for each of the four registered
> > >domains. I have set up Postfix to act as a smart host
> > >mail hub (the MX host). One of the named record
> > >database is for one of the sites. When I try to send
> > >an E-mail from this message to list e-mail address. The messages
> > >bounce for dns lookup failure.
> > >The name that is being looked up is
> > >  <mxhost>.<domainName>.<tld>.<targetDomainName>.<tld>
>
> > >Some how the two names are being mashed together and then
> > >looked up, causing the resolution failure.
>
>As the other respondent noted, that was because of the missing
>period.
>
>I've found that 'nslint' in the /usr/ports/dns hierarchy
>is a nice little program that will tell you all your errors.
>I actually run it's output through a 'filter' to get rid of
>extranous things such as 'in use by xxxx.xxx' as i have
>several sites that respond to the same IP.
>
> > >dig targetDomainName.com -t MX produces the record according to
> > >my ISP's name servers, which is the mashed version. Possibly they
> > >have it wrong? Someone is screwing up the lookup for this.
>
> > >There was a period missing after the MX host name record.
> > >I added that and rebooted the machine with the primary name
> > >server just to insure that named got the change and checked the
> > >secondary record and it has the change
>
>You don't have to reboot Unix systems for almost all things which
>don't require a kernel change.  named.restart   will do the job.
>
> > >I did dig @targerDomainName.com -t MX and got my secondary
> > >name server responding. I checked the primary server to see that
> > >it is actually running at the time, it was and is.
> > >but the bak file on the secondary server has
> > ><clip>
> > >                 IN              MX      10      host.domain.tld.
> > >$ORIGIN targetDomain.tld.
> > ></clip>
> > >
> > >when the record on primary server is
> > ><clip>
> > >@               IN              MX      10      host.domain.tld.
> > ></clip>
> > >@ in this context should reference the domain this
> > >file is for.
> > >If anyone is a wiz at dns record and problems can you
> > >make any suggestions or recommendations?
> > >thank you in advance
> > >Jeff K
>
> > Jeff,
>
> > I just checked how my DNS files look on two 6.2 servers.  The primary zone
> > files will have the:
> > @
> > while the secondary zone files will not have these.
>
> > In my zone files the MX appears on the primary as a the lines: ;
> > MX Record @ IN MX 10 mail.mydomain.com.
> >
> > Note the last period after the domain suffix is there to show
> > it is a fully qualified name, with that name defined earlier in
> > this zone file.
> >
> > On the secondary server the zone files has: MX 10
> > mail.mydomain.com.
> >
> > In both files the 10 is the weight for the MX record. If you
> > have multiple servers you want to accept email, you would use
> > this number to designate the order they should get mail, smaller
> > numbers are primary to get email.
>
> > When you make a change on the primary DNS server zone file be
> > sure to change the serial number in that zone file. Also I
> > usually stop and start named on the primary. I also remove the
> > backup files on the secondary servers and stop and start named
> > on those too to see that the new files are transferred and thus
> > being used.
>
>I have about 250 zones in my DNS and I've done something which
>makes sure that I always have the correct date, but all the
>domains will show the same date.
>
>I've extracted much of what you put in a zone file and put
>it in a file called   named.soa  .  And in each file
>is used the $INCLUDE directive [quite handy] that
>is   $INCLUDE named.soa
>
>Then I just update the serial number in the one file.  It saves
>a lot of time, particualary yesterday when one client of
>a support house that uses our servers decided he needed
>all the standard variants .com, .net, .biz, .mobi, .info, .org,
>and .tv - plus 5 variants on his domain.
>
>I'd just dupe the zone file and make global changes in 'vi'
>and only have to update the serial number in the named.soa
>just one time.
>
>Bill

Bill,

I didn't know about the include statement, I will do that with my zone 
files too.  Good to know about the nslint utility too.  I am one who makes 
typos, so it will be a good way to make sure the files are at least syntax 
correct.

         -Derek

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