remote dns domains: using type "forward" or edit in the db.cache file??

[Kevin Darcy]

"magiciq_pop3.concepts.nl" wrote:

> Hi,
>
> What is the best solution when I have foreign domains in my local DNS?
> When a name is coming to my DNS and ask for resolving, my DNS will not
> resolved that name, instead of my DNS will forward the request to the
> dedicated DNS in aboard. That why I use type forward.
> But now is little confuse. I heard from somebody instead of using forward, you
> can also put all the foreign domains in your zone "." file. In my case the
> db.cache. Normally I have put only my local hostname + IP-address over there
> and nothing more.
>
> Please let me know what are the different between using forward or putting
> everything in the db.cache file. Which one I have to use???
>
> Besides that in the named.conf, under zone ".", I use type hint instead of
> master. Since our DNS is not connected to the real internet world (private
> camp). So I use type hint that is what I have learn. Can somebody tell me what
> is correct hint or master and when I have to use hint and when master??

If your box is master for the root zone, you can put anything you want in that
zone (as long as it doesn't properly belong in a subzone that you have
delegated) and it should work. In fact, you could put your entire internal
namespace into a single root zone if you wished.

A "type hint" zone is only used to tell your nameserver to consult some
*other* server(s) about the root zone. Obviously, then, if you are master or
slave for the root zone, you don't need a "type hint" zone, since you already
have all of the root-zone information locally.

If you're not the source of information for a particular part of the namespace,
and it's not already delegated down from the root zone, then you need to either
delegate that part of the namespace to someone else's nameservers (assuming you
control the parent zone), or you can use an explicit zone of type "slave",
"forward" or "stub" to enable your nameserver to resolve names in that part of
the namespace. There are pros and cons to each of those zone types, depending on
what your query mix/volume is, how frequently the zone changes, whether you're
trying to minimize your resource impact, how much redundancy you need, etc. etc.


- Kevin