resolving dns name to another dns name?

[Kurt Boyack]

On 8/6/05, Danny Mayer <mayer at gis.net> wrote:
> Kurt Boyack wrote:
> > Not true. I can have www.MYdomain.com point to www.anyotherdomain.com.
> > That would work for most web servers (at least all of the ones that
> > are set up correctly IMHO).
> >
> You're wrong. The HTTP server (unless you are running an old version) or
> haven't set up a non-default host will know the difference.

This mailing list is about BIND. The question was, can you have
www.ourdomain.com point to www.theirdomain.com. The answer is yes.

> The server looks at the host line which contains the name of the host req=
uested and
> directs the request to the appropriate directory tree.

A web server does not have to look at the hostname. Many web servers
only host one website, and no matter how you get there, you get the
same results (say by entering the IP address). Servers with multiple
websites have to look at the hostname to know where to go, but they
can and should have a default page to go to IMHO.

Karl said:
> And last but not least, the webserver has to recognise the name it is bei=
ng accessed under.

That is true in some cases, but usually is not the case. The person
asking the question, probably knows the people at theirdomain, and
could work with them to make it work if needed.

Try going to http://www.vistant.com and http://www.vistant.net. Those
are "our" domains, and I pointed them to "your" domains. They point to
the domains where yours and Karl's email comes from.

   www   CNAME   www.gis.net.
   www   CNAME   www.biplane.com.au.

There are many people out there that configure their web servers
wrong, and it would not work with them (those that do not have a
default web page), but I think it would work with most. That is really
beside the point though. The question was about how to create a CNAME
record.