This document provides information on configuring the Berkeley Internet Name Domain (BIND) DNS server. It describes DNS and how resource records are organized hierarchically with domains and subdomains separated by periods. The document outlines the files needed to configure BIND, including the name.conf, zone files, and loopback file. It explains the directory structure for non-chrooted and chrooted configurations and provides troubleshooting commands.

1. Berkeley Internet Name Domain
BIND DNS Configuration

2. Introduction: BIND DNS
• DNS (Domain Name System), also known as a nameserver, is a network
system that associates hostnames with their respective IP addresses.
• When a client host requests information from a nameserver, it usually
connects to port 53. The nameserver then attempts to resolve the name
requested.
• In a DNS server such as BIND, all information is stored in basic data elements
called resource records (RR). The resource record is usually a fully qualified
domain name (FQDN) of a host, and is broken down into multiple sections
organized into a tree- like hierarchy.
BIND DNS Configuration

3. Hierarchy: bob.sales.example.com
• Each level of the hierarchy is divided by a period
(that is, . ).
• com defines the top-level domain, example its subdomain, and sales the
subdomain of example.
• In this case, bob identifies a resource record that is part of the
sales.example.com domain. With the exception of the part furthest to the
left (that is, bob), each of these sections is called a zone and defines a specific
namespace.
BIND DNS Configuration

4. Zones files and Nameserver type
• Are stored on primary nameservers (also called master nameservers), where
changes are made to the files, and secondary nameservers (also called slave
nameservers), which receive zone definitions from the primary nameservers.
There are two nameserver configuration types:
authoritative
Authoritative nameservers answer to resource records that are part of their
zones only. This category includes both primary (master) and secondary (slave)
nameservers.
recursive
Recursive nameservers offer resolution services, but they are not
authoritative for any zone. Answers for all resolutions are cached in a
memory for a fixed period of time, which is specified by the retrieved
resource record.
BIND DNS Configuration

5. BIND DNS Configuration
Files that needs to be configured (file directory will vary depends on your setup)
 name.conf name.conf
 zone file azrael.com.zone
 loop back 1.168.192.in-addr.arpa
Install all packages
 bind-libs-9.3.3-7.el5.i386.rpm2.
 bind-9.3.3-7.el5.i386.rpm3.
 bind-chroot-9.3.3-7.el5.i386.rpm4.
 bind-utils-9.3.3-7.el5.i386.rpm5.
 caching-nameserver-9.3.3-7.el5.i386.rpm
NOTE: Check first if there’s an existing Bind on your system using
[root@redhat root]# rpm –qa | grep –i bind
[root@redhat root]# rpm –qa | grep –i caching
BIND DNS Configuration

6. BIND DNS Configuration
Directory without chroot
/etc/name.conf
/var/named/some.com.zone
/var/named/215.0.10.in-addr.arpa.zone
Directory with chroot
/var/named/chroot/var/named/some.com.zone
/var/named/chroot/ect/name.conf
/var/named/chroot/var/named/215.0.10.in-addr.arpa.zone
NOTE: Make sure that your IP address correct.
BIND DNS Configuration

7. Code for trouble shooting
[root@redhat ~]# pwd
to check which working environtment your are
[root@redhat ~]# ifconfig
show nit card configuration
[root@redhat ~]# rpm –qa | grep –i bind OR rpm –qa | grep –i caching
check if Bind/Caching is already installed
[root@redhat ~]# netstat -tuna
to check which port is your configuration is listening
[root@redhat ~]# service named restart
to restart named service
[root@redhat ~]# rndc status
to check if services is up and running
BIND DNS Configuration

8. Code for trouble shooting
[root@redhat ~]# dig azrael.com NS
to look up a nameserver for a particular domain
[root@redhat ~]# dig azrael.com A
to look up an IP address assigned to a particular domain
[root@redhat ~]# host www.redhat.com
to host name resolution
[root@redhat ~]# nslookup www.azrael.com
to check query
[root@redhat ~]# tail -20 /var/log/messages
to check logs
[root@redhat ~]# chgrp /var/named/(zone file)
change all file permission (3 files)
q BIND DNS Configuration

9. Things to Consider
 Make sure you NIT card is properly set up (IP address)
 Use [root@redhat ~]# ifconfig to check IP
 Make sure you have the right version (no version is the same setup as the other)
 Use [root@redhat ~]# tail -20 /var/log/messages to check logs
 Use [root@redhat ~]# chgrp /var/named/(zone file) to change
directory permission
BIND DNS Configuration

10. BIND DNS Configuration: name.conf
BIND DNS Configuration

11. BIND DNS Configuration: some.com.zone
BIND DNS Configuration

12. BIND DNS Configuration: 215.0.10.in-addr.arpa.zone
BIND DNS Configuration