nsupdate rewrtting the zone files

[Kevin Darcy]

As has been mentioned many times before, you can't mix Dynamic Update with
manual zonefiles updates. Not safely, at least.

If your DNS maintenance needs are "Not very complex", why not just use a
tool like "nsupdate" to maintain your zone data via Dynamic Update? If you
still need a hosts file for some reason, you could generate it fairly easily
from DNS.


- Kevin

cshankey at charlestoncounty.org wrote:

> I have been maintaining DNS records for a while on version 4 and 8 using=
> =20
> a host file and h2n. Not very complex. We are trying to start using=20
> dynamic updates with Bind 8.2.2 p5 and a DHCP server will be the only on=
> e=20
> allowed to update.  The DHCP Server and the DNS server run on the same=20
> system running Solaris 8.  Every time I run nsupdate or the DHCP server =
>
> registers a record when I restart named my zone files are completely=20
> rewritten in a different format that h2n will no longer handle. I get=20
> improper SOA format back from the h2n script.  I know a little Perl but =
>
> h2n is a monster.
>
> Format before dynamic update:
>
> $TTL 86400
> @ IN SOA  folly root ( 2 10800 3600 604800 600 )
>   IN NS   folly
>
> localhost               A       127.0.0.1
> wando                   A       205.140.237.3
> folly                   A       205.140.237.6
> loghost                 CNAME   folly
> spruill-dhcp            A       205.140.237.10
>
> $INCLUDE /var/named/spcl.charlestoncounty
>
> Format after dynamic update: added 2 hosts with nsupdate -d
>
> ;BIND DUMP V8
> $ORIGIN org.
> charlestoncounty  86400 IN  NS  folly.charlestoncounty.org. ;Cl=3D2
>   86400 IN  SOA folly.charlestoncounty.org. root.charlestoncounty.org. (=
>
>     4 10800 3600 604800 600 ) ;Cl=3D2
>   86400 IN  MX  10 folly.charlestoncounty.org.  ;Cl=3D2
> $ORIGIN charlestoncounty.org.
> uber-soldat 86400 IN  A 205.140.237.11  ;Cl=3D2
> folly 86400 IN  A 205.140.237.6 ;Cl=3D2
> localhost 86400 IN  A 127.0.0.1 ;Cl=3D2
> testbox 86400 IN  A 205.140.237.12  ;Cl=3D2
> wando 86400 IN  A 205.140.237.3 ;Cl=3D2
> loghost 86400 IN  CNAME folly.charlestoncounty.org. ;Cl=3D2
> spruill-dhcp  86400 IN  A 205.140.237.10  ;Cl=3D2
>
> Are dynamic updates always going to be written in this format?  Is there=
> =20
> any way to keep the zone files in the other format or an h2n script that=
> =20
> can handle this format.
>
> Secondly do the use of dynamic updates completely kill the possibility o=
> f=20
> having a host file rebuild the zone files.  I would think so.  This is=20
> very madding.
>
> Any advice or information would be appreciated.