Re: [cobalt-users] Re: DNS-network serial numbers?

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Patrick wrote:

> Get the feeling
> this is more the traditional, original Cobalt group... and the rest are
> either new Sun users, or legacy Sun users switching to Cobalt...

Yep <smile>!

> >> >Primary Serial_Number  =  2001121303
> >> >Secondary Serial_Number  = 2001120315

Looks good from here.  When the secondary is updated the serial numbers
will be the same.

> And was informed that the primary _is_ greater than the secondary therefore
> the zone transfer should take place... I stated this number could not be
> set through the GUI... but of course changes to the DNS database on the
> primary, ie, the creation of new domains yields the new (higher) serial number.
> 
> This query came about because my Country Domain Authority refuses to
> authorise the domain change - because the secondary hasn't updated...
> Though they tell me I'm at fault because my primary must be higher than my
> secondary (which in fact it is...) And my ISP doesn't know there is a
> problem on the secondary (that long week-end)... This is a fault on the
> secondary?

Probably.

> Question: How does the Domain Authority query these servers to discover
> these numbers? Can I do the same?

If you haven't done that, how do you know what the serial is on the
secondary?

In the example I've cut and pasted below, I'm trying to find out the
serial number for nobaloney.net, which has primary dns hosted on
ns1.ns-one.net:

 [admin admin]$ nslookup
 Default Server:  joshua.nobaloney.net
 Address:  63.108.93.100
 
 > server ns1.ns-one.net
 Default Server:  ns1.ns-one.net
 Address:  63.108.93.101
 
 > set querytype=soa
 > nobaloney.net
 Server:  ns1.ns-one.net
 Address:  63.108.93.101
 
 nobaloney.net
         origin = ns1.ns-one.net
         mail addr = hostmaster.ns-one.net
         serial = 2001120402
         refresh = 10800 (3H)
         retry   = 1800 (30M)
         expire  = 172800 (2D)
         minimum ttl = 3600 (1H)
 nobaloney.net   nameserver = ns1.ns-one.net
 nobaloney.net   nameserver = ns2.ns-one.net
 ns1.ns-one.net  internet address = 63.108.93.101
 ns2.ns-one.net  internet address = 206.131.230.88
 >

and then I wanted to get the serial number from ns2.ns-one.net, which is
the secondary dns:

 > server ns2.ns-one.net
 Default Server:  ns2.ns-one.net
 Address:  206.131.230.88
 
 > set querytype=soa
 > nobaloney.net
 Server:  ns2.ns-one.net
 Address:  206.131.230.88
 
 nobaloney.net
         origin = ns1.ns-one.net
         mail addr = hostmaster.ns-one.net
         serial = 2001120402
         refresh = 10800 (3H)
         retry   = 1800 (30M)
         expire  = 172800 (2D)
         minimum ttl = 3600 (1H)
 nobaloney.net   nameserver = ns1.ns-one.net
 nobaloney.net   nameserver = ns2.ns-one.net
 ns1.ns-one.net  internet address = 63.108.93.101
 ns2.ns-one.net  internet address = 206.131.230.88
 >

Then to exit nslookup:

 > exit
 [admin admin]$

That's it.

> In reply to Gerald@xxxxxxxxx:
> 
> >Did you reload the zone file
> >
> >ndc domai.tld reload
> 
> Would this make a difference to the secondary - and this situation?

If you're running DNS from the gui, when you commit changes, DNS will
reload the zone file.  When you do it manually you have to restart or
reload the DNS server as Gerald has showed you.

If you can see the new serial number using nslookup as I demonstrated,
then you've got the updated zone-file installed.  If not, then you
don't.

> I almost purchased "Running Linux" today... and yesterday (different
> bookshop, it wasn't in stock...) Still not sure how relevant it is to
> running my box... Maybe I should research more resources - and buy a
> different book... Linux in a Nutshell? That Cricket book? :).. Uuum. Any
> suggestions? (suppose I really need them all?)

You're probably better off with specific books after you read a few
general ones.  Running Linux is okay; I like The Red Hat Bible; you
should be able to get the one covering 6.2 fairly cheaply on a remainder
shelf somewhere <smile>.

Then "Linux DNS Server Administration" is a good second choice <smile,
again>.

> Point is though: Is the
> Cobalt box something I should think about as a Linux tool... or is it
> [simply] a webserver - and an email server, and an ftp server and a DNS
> server... Suppose the GUI is never enough.

That's up to you.

> I wanted this - but Gee, much bigger than I thought. Great.

Do you want us to do DNS for you <smile>?  We're not _that_ expensive
<smile, again>???

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Linux and Cobalt/Sun/RaQ Consulting
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 778-9980  *  fax: (702) 548-9484