weird name resolution problem w/ bind

[Kevin Darcy]

Klaus A. Kreil wrote:

>Hello BIND experts out there,
>I do have a strange behaviour of bind (version 9.2.3 running on SuSE
>9.1,
>kernel 2.6.5-7.75-smp) as follows:
>
>ping hp8550 (hp8550 is a local networked printer) from a ssh window
>(putty) times out without resolving the name yielding an error message
>as follows:
>
>ping: unknown host hp8550
>
>This is also the case if started with the FQDN (ping
>hp8550.xxxxx.local) to
>resolve for the IP address:
>ping: unknown host hp8550.xxxxx.local
>
>nslookup hp8550 from the same ssh console returns the correct FQDN
>together
>with the IP-number as follows:
>
>Note: nslookup is deprecated and may be removed from future releases.
>Consider using the `dig' or `host' programs instead. Run nslookup with
>the `-sil[ent]' option to prevent this message from appearing.
>Server: 192.168.xx.1
>Address: 192.168.xx.1#53
>
>Name: hp8550.xxxxx.local
>Address: 192.168.xx.64
>
>Same ping from a XP cmd window of a local PC connected to the local
>domain
>works without any problems: ping hp8550 resolves to the correct IP and
>pings.
>
>
>
>All external pings (i.e. hosts not in the local domain) with domain
>names
>resolve for the IP address and work as expected regardless whether
>from XP
>or ssh window. You can substitute bind with telnet, ftp, etc - all do
>not
>resolve correctly if executed from the ssh console.
>BTW the same is true for the linux console
>
>Setup is as follows:
>authoritative bind for the domain xxxxx.local with "forwarders ..." to
>the
>ISP's name servers with "forward first". Restricted to allow queries
>from
>the local subnet + loopback and listening on dedicated local subnet
>address
>(192.168.xx.1) plus loopback.
>
>At the moment I am clueless and would appreciate any suggestion.
>
Are you sure that DNS is the only network naming service configured? On 
most platforms (the only exception I know of is HP-UX) nslookup *only* 
looks at DNS. "ping" and other command-line tools will use whatever 
nameservice is configured via the nsswitch.conf file, or whatever the 
equivalent is on SuSe. This could include NIS, NetInfo or other name 
services, and maybe the timeout is occurring trying to reach one of 
those other name services.

                                                                         
                                                      - Kevin