Using dig for checking domain registration

Tue Jun 30 00:42:52 UTC 2009

In message <BA25C9BB-29D5-4771-BCAD-4F6A34F693B4 at newgeo.com>, Scott Haneda writ
es:
> On Jun 29, 2009, at 5:08 PM, Mark Andrews wrote:
> 
> > 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".
> 
> 
> Hi Mark, thanks for the reply.  I do not understand your last  
> suggestion.  If the domain in question is customtruckgraphics.us, can  
> you show me an example of how to do this?

% dig ns us
; <<>> DiG 9.3.6-P1 <<>> ns us
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 38654
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 6, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 6

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;us.				IN	NS

;; ANSWER SECTION:
us.			518400	IN	NS	a.gtld.biz.
us.			518400	IN	NS	i.gtld.biz.
us.			518400	IN	NS	c.gtld.biz.
us.			518400	IN	NS	b.gtld.biz.
us.			518400	IN	NS	j.gtld.biz.
us.			518400	IN	NS	k.gtld.biz.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
a.gtld.biz.		516703	IN	A	209.173.53.162
b.gtld.biz.		516685	IN	A	209.173.57.162
c.gtld.biz.		516677	IN	A	209.173.60.65
i.gtld.biz.		516687	IN	A	156.154.96.126
k.gtld.biz.		516672	IN	A	156.154.72.65
j.gtld.biz.		516601	IN	AAAA	2001:503:a124:ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff:ff7e

;; Query time: 438 msec
;; SERVER: 127.0.0.1#53(127.0.0.1)
;; WHEN: Tue Jun 30 10:32:37 2009
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 232

% dig +norec customtruckgraphics.us ns @a.gtld.biz
; <<>> DiG 9.3.6-P1 <<>> +norec customtruckgraphics.us ns @a.gtld.biz
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 22320
;; flags: qr; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 2, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;customtruckgraphics.us.		IN	NS

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
customtruckgraphics.us.	7200	IN	NS	NS1.OCTANEDNS.COM.
customtruckgraphics.us.	7200	IN	NS	NS2.OCTANEDNS.COM.

;; Query time: 242 msec
;; SERVER: 209.173.53.162#53(209.173.53.162)
;; WHEN: Tue Jun 30 10:33:22 2009
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 89

%

> As to the versions, I would not be onjectionable to updating, how do I  
> tell which version of dig is on the machine,

	Look in the comments. I used dig from 9.3.6-P1 to make the above
	queries.

> as well as where to find  the version that addresses the two bugs listed
> above?

	One bug actually.  The ISC web site.

> I can not  
> rebuild named entirely, as it was enough trouble getting DLZ working  
> on RHEL. I would just need to fish out dig, and build that separate.

	I suspect you will find it easier to just fully upgrade.
	You may need to go find test rpms.  I'm not a Linux guy but
	I'm sure they shouldn't be hard to find or for that matter
	convert a existing source on.

	Mark

> Thank you.
> -- 
> Scott * If you contact me off list replace talklists@ with scott@ *
> 
-- 
Mark Andrews, ISC
1 Seymour St., Dundas Valley, NSW 2117, Australia
PHONE: +61 2 9871 4742                 INTERNET: marka at isc.org