Resolving domain.com versus machine.domain.com

[Joseph S D Yao]

> I'm helping with a freenet in the Seattle area (scn.org) that provides
> access to a menu system via telnet (or dialup).  Currently, users can telnet
> to "scn.org".  We do have machines named, so this one is actually
> "scn.scn.org", and there are others in the network.
> 
> It is our understanding that we ought to have telnets coming into, say,
> "telnet.scn.org" (a CNAME for scn.scn.org), and that allowing "scn.org" to
> resolve to specific machine limits our DNS options in other ways.

I remember hearing something about the latter long enough ago that I
can't remember why.  ;-)  I think it was something that is no longer a
problem.  Certainly, all the people tripping over themselves to put up
a Web presence seem to be doing this.

I don't remember ever seeing a requirement to have your telnet server
named telnet.<...>.

> We are presently on BIND4, but are planning an upgrade to BIND8 in the very
> near future.  Out name services are handled by the Seattle Public Library,
> but we want our DNS to feed up to theirs by reverse arp, if I understand it
> correctly.  At present, we are running a caching-only config.  We really
> just want the freedom to control our own DNS entries on our own, in case we
> want to break out services to separate machines, or move a service from one
> to another.

No reverse ARP.  You can have your name server be the "master" which
their name servers copy.  This is done by zone transfers over good ole'
TCP over IP.  Read up on that in Albitz & Liu's "DNS and BIND", 3rd ed.
Pay attention to the parts about serial numbers.

> Can we allow "scn.org" to resolve to "scn.scn.org" (or any other machine we
> choose) without compromising our configuration or options?

I don't see why not.

Disclaimer - I do have a vested interest, since my twin brother uses
this service for e-mail.  ;-)

--
Joe Yao				jsdy at cospo.osis.gov - Joseph S. D. Yao
COSPO/OSIS Computer Support					EMT-B
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