Using dig for checking domain registration

[Mark Andrews]

In message <76610622-42BA-4ED3-B945-14F6C6796A65 at newgeo.com>, Scott Haneda writ
es:
> I have been using the below command to determine if a domain is  
> registered.  I use this for an internal audit of what clients have  
> come and gone, and what DNS records I need to clean up.
> 
> dig example.com NS +trace -4 @4.2.2.1 | grep -i ns1.example.com
> 
> I run it also with ns2.example.com in the grep to make certain my  
> primary and secondary are listed.
> 
> My current trouble is that I am getting intermittent failures if the  
> domain is not a tld of .com, .net, .org.
> 
> $dig customtruckgraphics.us NS +trace -4 @4.2.2.1 +short
> NS F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS M.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS G.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS E.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS L.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS C.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS K.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS J.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS B.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> NS H.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. from server 4.2.2.1 in 19 ms.
> dig: couldn't get address for 'J.GTLD.BIZ': not found

	J.GTLD.BIZ only has a IPv6 addresses.
 
> Can someone explain to me what is happening here, and also, provide a  
> suggestion on how to best test for the conditions I am after?

	You need to run a version of dig with this bug fix or just re-try.

2517.   [bug]           dig +trace with -4 or -6 failed when it chose a
                        nameserver address of the excluded address.
                        [RT #18843]

Which should read.
	
2517.   [bug]           dig +trace with -4 or -6 failed when it chose a
                        nameserver address of the excluded address type.
                        [RT #18843]

	Alternatively do "dig ns parent.zone", then
	"dig +norec ns child.zone @parent-server".

	Mark
-- 
Mark Andrews, ISC
1 Seymour St., Dundas Valley, NSW 2117, Australia
PHONE: +61 2 9871 4742                 INTERNET: marka at isc.org