Setting up own DNS

[Pete Ehlke]

On Thu, Apr 25, 2002 at 02:25:01AM +0530, John Doe wrote:
> 
> start up BIND & make a few changes in the resolver file. (Actually,
> I'm still confused about whether BIND comes with default config files
> or not, because in one of the earlier posts Pete mentions that the
> files have to be created from scratch but the BIND that came along
> with the customized distribution of RH 7.1 that I use does have them.
> 
bind does not come with any useable configuration files. If your
operating system's bind package does, then your vendor created them for
you.

> As for the complexity of the topic, well it's not exactly as tough as
> it's made out to be. Well atleast setting up a caching-only name
> servers isn't. I think I asked the same question about 3-4 days ago &
> I bought the O'Reilly book pretty much the same day & I atleast feel
> comfortable with the whole setup process. 
> 
One of the great things about the design and implementation of the DNS
is that it *looks* like it's enormously simple. It's like a good bass
player- the DNS just sort of sits there, off to stage right, in the
shadows, and the audience doesn't really notice him as his flashier
friends SMTP and NNTP get all the glory. Of course, then there's the
tambourine shaking newcomer, HTTP, who keeps insisting that the main
spot follows her wherever she is on stage... And all the while, it's DNS
and his old buddy BGP laying down the groove so the whole thing comes
together.

Anyway... a simple caching name server for a few local users isn't
terribly complicated, particularly if you don't screw it up with
ill-considered packet filters. But as much of the discussion here shows,
it's surprisingly easy to get DNS wrong, even in allegedly simple
configurations. And IMNSHO, large DNS implementations are decidedly
non-trivial to design and implement.

-Pete