Synopses & Reviews
DNS on Windows NT is a special edition of the classic DNS and BIND, which Microsoft recommends for Windows NT users and administrators. It discusses one of the Internet's fundamental building blocks: the distributed host information database that's responsible for translating names into addresses, routing mail to its proper destination, and many other services. As the authors write in the preface, if you're using the Internet, you're already using DNS -- even if you don't know it.This book covers the DNS server in Windows NT 4.0, as updated with Service Pack 3. In addition to covering general issues, like installing, setting up, and maintaining the server, it covers many issues specific to the Windows environment: integration between DNS and WINS, converting from BIND to the Microsoft DNS server, and registry settings. It pays special attention to security issues, system tuning, caching, and zone change notification. It also pays detailed attention to issues like troubleshooting and planning for growth.Whether you're an administrator involved with DNS on a daily basis, or a user who wants to be more informed about the Internet and how it works, you'll find that this book is essential reading.Topics include:
- What DNS does, how it works, and when you need to use it
- How to find your own place in the Internet's name space
- Setting up name servers
- Using MX records to route mail
- Configuring hosts to use DNS name servers
- Subdividing domains (parenting)
- Securing your name server: preventing unauthorized zone transfers
- Mapping one name to several servers for load sharing
- Troubleshooting: using nslookup, diagnosing common problems
Synopsis
A complete guide to the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS) servers that run on Windows NT Server, this title concentrates on the version Microsoft released after Service Pack 3. The book also mentions other DNS servers that run on NT, especially ports of BIND, the popular UNIX implementation of the DNS specifications.
About the Author
Paul Albitz is a software engineer at Hewlett-Packard. Paul earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse, and a Master of Science degree from Purdue University.
Paul worked on BIND for the HP-UX 7.0 and 8.0 releases. During this time he developed the tools used to run the hp.com domain. Since then Paul has worked on various HP products during his 19 year career: HP JetDirect software, HP OfficeJet fax firmware, HPPhoto web site, and HP Photosmart Premier software.
Paul and his wife Katherine live in San Diego California with their two cats, Gracie and Tiffany.
Matt Larson started Acme Byte & Wire, a company specializing in DNS consulting and training, with Cricket Liu in January 1997. Previously, he worked for Hewlett-Packard, first as Cricket's successor as hp.com hostmaster, then as a consultant in HP's Professional Services Organization. Matt graduated from Northwestern University in 1992 with two degrees: a bachelor of arts in computer science and a bachelor of music in church music/organ performance. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife, Sonja Kahler, and their two pugs. In his spare time he enjoys playing the 10-rank pipe organ in his house and flying light airplanes. Cricket worked for five and a half years at Hewlett-Packard's Corporate Network Services, where he ran hp.com, one of the largest corporate domains in the world, and helped design the HP Internet's security architecture. Cricket left HP in 1997 to start his own company, Acme Byte & Wire, with his friend and co-author Matt Larson. Network Solutions acquired Acme Byte & Wire in June of 2000, and then subsequently, Network Solutions merged with VeriSign. Cricket became Director of DNS Product Management of the merged company, helping determine which new DNS-related products VeriSign would offer.
Cricket Liu matriculated at the University of California's Berkeley campus, that great bastion of free speech, unencumbered Unix, and cheap pizza. He joined Hewlett-Packard after graduation and worked for HP for nine years. Cricket began managing the hp.com zone after the Loma Prieta earthquake forcibly transferred the zone's management from HP Labs to HP's Corporate Offices (by cracking a sprinkler main and flooding Labs' computer room). Cricket was [email protected] for over three years, and then joined HP's Professional Services Organization to cofound HP's Internet Consulting Program. Cricket left HP in 1997 to form Acme Byte & Wire, a DNS consulting and training company, with his friend (and now co-author) Matt Larson. Network Solutions acquired Acme in June 2000, and later the same day merged with VeriSign. Cricket worked for a year as Director of DNS Product Management for VeriSign Global Registry Services. Cricket joined Men & Mice, an Icelandic company specializing in DNS software and services, in September, 2001. He is currently their Vice President, Research & Development. Cricket, his wife, Paige, and their son, Walt, live in Colorado with two Siberian Huskies, Annie and Dakota. On warm weekend afternoons, you'll probably find them on the flying trapeze or wakeboarding behind Betty Blue.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
1. Background
A (Very) Brief History of the Internet
On the Internet and Internets
The History of the Domain Name System
The Domain Name System, in a Nutshell
The History of the Microsoft DNS Server
2. How Does DNS Work?
The Domain Name Space
The Internet Domain Name Space
Delegation
Name Servers and Zones
Resolvers
Resolution
Caching
3. Where Do I Start?
Which DNS Server?
Getting the DNS Server
Choosing a Domain Name
4. Setting Up the Microsoft DNS Server
Our Domain
DNS Manager
Setting Up DNS Data
Running a Primary Master Name Server
Running a Slave Name Server
Adding More Domains
DNS > Properties
What Next?
5. DNS and Electronic Mail
MX Records
Adding MX Records with DNS Manager
What's a Mail Exchanger, Again?
The MX Algorithm
6. Configuring Hosts
The Resolver
Sample Resolver Configurations
Other Naming Services
Differences in Service Behavior
7. Maintaining the Microsoft DNS Server
What About Signals?
Updating Zone Data
Zone Database File Controls
Keeping Everything Running Smoothly
8. Growing Your Domain
How Many Name Servers?
Adding More Name Servers
Registering Name Servers
Changing TTLs
Planning for Disasters
Coping with Disaster
9. Parenting
When to Become a Parent
How Many Children?
What to Name Your Children
How to Become a Parent: Creating Subdomains
Subdomains of in-addr.arpa Domains
Good Parenting
Managing the Transition to Subdomains
The Life of a Parent
10. Advanced Features and Security
DNS NOTIFY (Zone Change Notification)
WINS Linkage
System Tuning
Name Server Address Sorting
Building Up a Large Sitewide Cache with Forwarders
A More Restricted Name Server
A Nonrecursive Name Server
Securing Your Name Server
Load Sharing Between Mirrored Servers
11. nslookup
Is nslookup a Good Tool?
Interactive versus Noninteractive
Option Settings
Avoiding the Search List
Common Tasks
Less Common Tasks
Troubleshooting nslookup Problems
Best of the Net
12. Troubleshooting DNS
Is DNS Really Your Problem?
Checking the Cache
Potential Problem List
Interoperability Problems
Problem Symptoms
13. Miscellaneous
Using CNAME Records
Wildcards
A Limitation of MX Records
DNS and Internet Firewalls
Dialup Connections
Network Names and Numbers
DNS versus X.500
A. DNS Message Format and Resource Records
B. Installing the DNS Server from CD-ROM
C. Converting from BIND to the Microsoft DNS Server
D. Top-Level Domains
E. Domain Registration Form
F. in-addr.arpa Registration Form
G. Microsoft DNS Server Registry Settings
Index