Secondary DNS/nameserver tidbits (Was: Re: [cobalt-users] redundancy how too....)

["Nico Meijer" <cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Thom,

> I thought the secondary name server, based on the ttl of the primary,
> reached out and "asked" the primary "do you have anything for me?"

AFAIK, this is not the case. Note: I run only primary DNS at this time, so I
might be quite confused. ;-)

You have to tell the secondary nameserver that he needs to listen for a
domain. For instance, if a primary nameserver has been set up for
domain.tld, you'd have to tell your nameserver in /etc/named.conf to watch
out for that domain.

Only then will it query the primary nameserver and collect the info. A
domain.tld.db will be automaticcaly created in /var/named. This is one of
your checks to see if all went well.

Two invaluable sources:

1) http://www.acmebw.com/askmrdns/
2) http://ldp.nllgg.nl/HOWTO/DNS-HOWTO.html

Good hunting... Nico

P.S. Perhaps this is exactly what you meant in your original post, so you'll
find nothing new in what I just said. I say: let the archives have it! :-)