nslookup domain search order

[Sandra R. de Souza -CONECT-#200502#]

Hi,

   I have a doubt about how nslookup works.
   When I try to resolve a name without putting the domain after it with nslookup , the dns server asks before to a root name server,
and after doing that it asks to my name server, appending the domain to the
name I have asked.
   Why is the name server doing that? The correct action is to look up in my
domain, and if it hasn't fount it ask the roots name server?
   Example :
 

# more /etc/resolv.conf
domain test.machine.br
search test.machine.br machine.br
nameserver xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx


# nslookup (on my desktop)
Default Server:  ns.test.machine.br
Address:  xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

> rachel.test
Server:  ns.test.machine.br
Address:  xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

*** ns.test.machine.br can't find rachel.test: Non-existent host/domain

This is the output from tcpdump on  my name server interface :

15:51:27.537605 test-gw.machine.br.2871 > ns.domain: 5536+ A? rachel.test. (30)  <<<<<<<
							^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
					   why this first?

15:51:28.300632 ns.domain > test-gw.machine.br.2871: 5536 NXDomain* 0/1/0 (106)
15:51:28.303246 test-gw.machine.br.2871 > ns.domain: 25625+ A? rachel.test.test.machine.br. (47)
15:51:28.303571 ns.domain > test-gw.machine.br.2871: 25625 NXDomain* 0/1/0 (112)
15:51:28.305822 test-gw.machine.br.2871 > ns.domain: 10964+ A? rachel.test.machine.br. (41)
15:51:28.306111 ns.domain > test-gw.machine.br.2871: 10964 NXDomain* 0/1/0 (106)


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 Sandra Regina de Souza                Internet: sandra at cuecc.unicamp.br
 Suporte Redes - Centro de Computacao  
 Universidade Estadual de Campinas     Fone    : (019) 788-2239               
 Campinas - SP - Brasil                               
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