Setting Up a Caching-Only Name Server

• Name Server Configuration Files

  /etc/named.boot (BIND version 4) or /etc/named.conf (BIND version 8)

  tells the name server what it's doing and where to get the rest of the data. This file is the same for all caching-only name servers at Stanford, and never needs to be changed.

  /etc/named.ca

  tells the name server the locations of the root name servers. This file is the same for all name servers, and only needs to change when the root name servers change. Pointers to the canonical source are included in the sample file. Check for new versions every month or so.

  /etc/named.local

  is the data file for the loopback address, 127.0.0.1. Every name server needs this file. Once the example file is modified to include the name of the system, it never needs to be changed again.

• Resolver Configuration File

  /etc/resolv.conf

  tells a system which name servers to use. In order for a name serving host to use its own name server, its IP address (not 127.0.0.1!) must be listed as the first name server. A caching-only name server can also provide name services to other hosts. Just add its IP address to their list of name servers.

• Starting the Name Server Program

  The name of the name server program is usually named or in.named. It's normally located in /etc, sometimes /usr/etc. Once the caching-only name server has been configured, simply type the name of the command to start the name server.

  /etc/named

  This command should also be added to the system startup files so the name server will start whenever the system is booted. The bad news is that the appropriate place for the command depends on the brand of system. The good news is that most modern versions of Unix will need no changes; they are set up to detect the presence of /etc/named.boot, and automatically start the name server. Look for something like the following code snippet in the startup files.

  if [ -f /usr/etc/in.named -a -f /etc/named.boot ]; then
          in.named;               echo -n ' named'
  fi
  

  If the startup files don't already contain references to the name server program, it's probably safe to add it at the end of the startup file.

Configuration Files

/etc/named.boot

;
; named.boot - caching name server configuration file for BIND version 4
;
directory /etc
;
cache           .                       named.ca
primary         0.0.127.in-addr.arpa    named.local

/etc/named.conf

//
// named.conf - caching name server configuration file for BIND version 8
//

options {
	directory  "/etc";
        host-statistics no;
	fake-iquery no;
};

zone "0.0.127.IN-ADDR.ARPA" {
	type master;
	file "named.local";
};

zone "." {
	type hint;
	file "named.ca";
};

/etc/named.ca

;       This file holds the information on root name servers needed to
;       initialize cache of Internet domain name servers
;       (e.g. reference this file in the "cache  .  "
;       configuration file of BIND domain name servers).
;
;       This file is made available by InterNIC registration services
;       under anonymous FTP as
;           file                /domain/named.root
;           on server           FTP.RS.INTERNIC.NET
;       -OR- under Gopher at    RS.INTERNIC.NET
;           under menu          InterNIC Registration Services (NSI)
;              submenu          InterNIC Registration Archives
;           file                named.root
;
;       last update:    Aug 22, 1997
;       related version of root zone:   1997082200
;
;
; formerly NS.INTERNIC.NET
;
.                        3600000  IN  NS    A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     198.41.0.4
;
; formerly NS1.ISI.EDU
;
.                        3600000      NS    B.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
B.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     128.9.0.107
;
; formerly C.PSI.NET
;
.                        3600000      NS    C.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
C.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     192.33.4.12
;
; formerly TERP.UMD.EDU
;
.                        3600000      NS    D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     128.8.10.90
;
; formerly NS.NASA.GOV
;
.                        3600000      NS    E.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
E.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     192.203.230.10
;
; formerly NS.ISC.ORG
;
.                        3600000      NS    F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     192.5.5.241
;
; formerly NS.NIC.DDN.MIL
;
.                        3600000      NS    G.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
G.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     192.112.36.4
;
; formerly AOS.ARL.ARMY.MIL
;
.                        3600000      NS    H.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
H.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     128.63.2.53
;
; formerly NIC.NORDU.NET
;
.                        3600000      NS    I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     192.36.148.17
;
; temporarily housed at NSI (InterNIC)
;
.                        3600000      NS    J.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
J.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     198.41.0.10
;
; housed in LINX, operated by RIPE NCC
;
.                        3600000      NS    K.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
K.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     193.0.14.129 
;
; temporarily housed at ISI (IANA)
;
.                        3600000      NS    L.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
L.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     198.32.64.12
;
; housed in Japan, operated by WIDE
;
.                        3600000      NS    M.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
M.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.      3600000      A     202.12.27.33
; End of File

/etc/named.local -- Replace "NAME" with your host's name.

@	IN	SOA	NAME.Stanford.EDU. postmaster.NAME.stanford.edu. (
			        100111103     ; Serial
                                360000        ; Refresh
                                30000         ; Retry
                                3600000       ; Expire
                                360000 )      ; Minimum
	IN	NS	NAME.Stanford.EDU.
1	IN	PTR	localhost.Stanford.EDU.

/etc/resolv.conf -- Replace "IP" with your host's IP address.

domain Stanford.EDU
nameserver IP
nameserver 171.64.7.77
nameserver 171.64.7.99