BIND - how predominant?

[David R. Conrad]

Hi,

It is really hard to answer the question definitively.  I've seen
estimates from a low of around 85% up to 99%.  This is because (a) BIND
is free and has a really unrestrictive use license, (b) all Unix vendors
(including Linux, *BSD, etc.) ship some version of BIND and (c) until
W2K (at least, it remains to be seen how well the W2K DNS server will be
accepted but it seems to be pretty good during interoperability
testing), people weren't particularly happy with Microsoft's DNS server
in a production environment (and no, W2K does not use BIND).

There are a few other non-BIND DNS implementations, that I'm aware of
(including a Symbolics Lisp version, but I don't think it runs anywhere
anymore), including NTS's ShadowIP product and the Cisco (formerly
American Internet) product Michael mentions, but they have relatively
small penetration compared to BIND.

BTW: the Checkpoint (formerly Metainfo) product includes IXFR and is
based on BIND (and is, in fact, what the BINDv8.2 IXFR implementation is
based on) and would appear to support DHCP failover as well.  Also the
Process Software product has implemented the DHCP failover draft in
their (BIND based) DNS/DHCP/LDAP product, but not sure if they have
implemented IXFR.  Not sure if Nortel's NetID product does IXFR or
failover, but wouldn't be surprised.  Having not used any of these
products, I can't say how well the work (or don't).

Rgds,
-drc

Michael Voight wrote:
> 
> Does W2K not use BIND??
> I only know one non BIND DNS server product and that is because I
> provide tech support for it. It is also the only product I know of that
> has IXFR working and also follows the DHCP failover draft rfc. (yes, it
> is a DNS/DHCP server from a company we (Cisco) bought last summer)
> 
> Michaelh
> 
> Willard Dawson wrote:
> >
> > "Erik J. Sawyer" <esawyer at ntp.com> writes:
> >
> > >WITHOUT going into a flame war about how BIND is (or isn't) superior to
> > >every other flavor of DNS around....
> >
> > >Can someone point me to an AUTHORITATIVE resource which states the
> > >percentage of DNS servers on the net (or in the public & private world)
> > >which run a flavor of BIND on a flavor of Unix?  I need this info as
> > >research for a presentation.
> >
> > >Much obliged,
> > >Erik J. Sawyer
> > >Senior Consultant
> > >NTP Consulting
> >
> > Of course, you'll be sure to present an un-W2K-biased report when you're
> > done, right? ;-)
> > --
> > Willard Francis Otto Dawson      +1 770 814 5099 / +1 770 814 5202 FAX
> > Siemens Business Services, SCN   mailto:willard.dawson at sbs.siemens.com
> > 4570 River Green Pkwy, Ste 140   http://www.sbs.siemens.com/
> > Duluth, GA  30096-2564           Standard disclaimer applies.