BIND .ixfr and .log Files

[Merton Campbell Crockett]

I am running BIND 8.3.7-REL.  To resolve some issues with the "funky" host 
names used by our IT Desktop Support group, I've changed several zones 
from static to dynamic.  The ISC DHCP server performs all dynamic DNS 
updates.

The .ixfr and .log files that "DNS and BIND, 4th Edition" and "The DHCP 
Handbook, 2nd Edition" identify as being created when an update occurs do 
not appear to be created or, in some cases, they are created and then 
later removed.  The master zone files on disk appear to have all of the 
updated records.

I presume that the .ixfr and .log files are not created until an update 
occurs.  Both books imply that once the .ixfr and .log files are created 
that they remain forever and discuss options that you can use to limit the 
size of the files.  There is no indication that the files are deleted.

Under what conditions are the .ixfr and .log files deleted?

The systems running BIND are seldom rebooted.  One has been up 765 days 
since its last reboot.  BIND is seldom restarted.  If one of the static 
zones changes "ndc reload <zone>" is used to load the new zone file.  I 
used "ndc reconfig" followed by "ndc reload <zone>" for each of the zones 
that were changed from static to dynamic.  Should I have stopped and 
restarted named?

I did stop and restart the ISC DHCP Server.

Merton Campbell Crockett



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FN:				Merton Campbell Crockett
ORG:				General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems;
				Intelligence and Exploitation Systems
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