search and ndots support in bind utilities

[Paul Kosinski]

Following https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/sac-064-en.pdf,
it sounds like modest groups of Internet users (such as informal clubs)
that don't have their own official domain (like "iment.com") are out of
luck if they would like to have local subdomains -- unless they want to
use the quite misleading reserved TLD "test", that is.

It's really too bad that the committee that expanded the space of TLDs
weren't as farsighted as those who allocated the IPv4 addresses to
include non-routable ones for local (intra-LAN) use.

P.S. Note that the domain implied by the PTR lookup result of such a
group's external IP address, although unique, is usually not suitable.
Most can change without notice due to DHCP, and they also tend to be
something unworkable, like "c-66-31-152-1.hsd1.ma.comcast.net.".


On Mon, 30 Sep 2019 09:35:57 -0600
Paul Ebersman <list-bind-users at dragon.net> wrote:

> pemensik> I am aware search is a no-no in DNS community. However, is
> pemensik> there any public documentation to this change? Is there RFC
> pemensik> recommending not to use search or how it should be used,
> pemensik> related to today's top level domains?
> 
> pemensik> While I agree it is dangerous, there are still people using
> pemensik> it. I think we should point them at some document,
> pemensik> explaining what are possible dangers. How to use it safe
> pemensik> way or how to avoid using it at all.
> 
> See ICANN SSAC doc 64:
> 
>   <https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/sac-064-en.pdf>
> 
> It goes into detail on why search/suffix lists are a bad idea.