DNS hierarchy & configuration

[Simon Waters]

Stefan Wiederoder wrote:
> 
> Do I´ve to deploy the hints-file also on the nameservers on tier-2 or
> tier-3 ?

You have to deploy the hints file on any server that is
providing recursive look up, so it knows where to find other
name servers.

You should draw a distinction between servers providing
recursive lookup, and those supplying authoritative data. Yes,
BIND can do both on one server, but drawing the distinction in
your planning should help you decide how to deploy, you may find
you don't need many authoritative servers at all.
 
> I´m just inexperienced on how to configure forwarding (when
> neccessary) ...

You probably don't need to use forwarding at all.