[NCLUG] Are you running a local nameserver?

[Bob Proulx]

Thomas J Loran wrote:
> I tried your dig ns . > db.root.new  solution and compared that file to
> the ftp version at FTP.INTERNIC.NET//domain/db.cache.  The two files are
> nothing alike,

They actually are very similar.  But looking at them I see a few
differences that are not greatly significant.

* The db.cache hand generated version specifies 3600000 seconds TTL
  for NS records while the live DNS generated version specifies 518400
  seconds.  I don't think I would worry about the difference.  But
  since the nameservers returned 518400 I assume that is the actual
  value that they are using.  I don't know why the ftp version did not
  match but it shows that it is not actually the one being used.

* The hand generated version lists all types of records for each
  server together.  The DNS generated version lists all servers
  together for NS records followed by A records.  NS are nameserver
  records and A records are address records.  This really makes no
  difference and is just cosmetic ordering differences in the file.

* The hand generated version optimized out the IN record type and did
  not specify it on every line.  It is a default value and so strictly
  speaking is not needed to be said.  The machine output specified it
  on every line explicitly.

* The comments are of course complete different.

Minor cosmetic differences, other than the TTL time difference.

> although I could make the "dig" version work, I suppose.

It would work just fine with no changes at all.  Things like the
ordering of the lines in the file are not significant if each line is
fully specified.

> And yes,  I always make a backup copy before changing editing any
> critical file.  How do you clean up your "dig" version?  

I sorted the servers so that they would be alphabetical.  The file you
listed had the NS section started with server J then K, L, M, A, B, C,
etc.  I reorder them so that A is always first, A, B, C, D, ..., K, L,
M.  That is the only change that I would suggest.  It makes comparing
with previous and next versions easier.

Bob