Linux DNS Server Administration

A complete reference for Web administrators utilizing Linux explains how to utilize the Domain Name Service (DNS) server to translate internet protocols for local usage, offering valuable advice and instructions on how to best configure the DNS server for effective networking. Original. (Advanced)

Linux, which is well suited to fire-and-forget applications that require high reliability, can make an excellent foundation on which to build a Domain Name System (DNS) server. Linux DNS Server Administration shows how to do that, treating Linux generically (the book sticks to features of the 2.x kernel that are common to all distributions) and showing how to configure Berkeley Internet Name Domain (BIND) on top of that base. The result is a technical document that's focused, detailed, and oriented toward the practical considerations--such as security--of real-world system administration.

Because providing DNS service isn't as much a matter of administration as of proper initial setup, Linux DNS Server Administration spends about half the time describing what a DNS server does and explaining how to get BIND service going. It mainly steers clear of "do-this, do-that" instructions, favoring statements of problems and their solutions (with lots of configuration file listings), instead. A similar approach later shows how to plug known security holes, configure logging, and optimize performance. For more information on DNS and BIND, check out the classic DNS and BIND. Although it's not focused specifically on Linux, that's the definitive work on name resolution under Unix generically. --David Wall

Topics covered: Domain Name System (DNS) service under Linux 2.x, as provided by BIND 8. The design of the global DNS service, server configuration (for both master and slave servers), subdomains, security, and performance optimization. DNS futures--in the form of a look at BIND 9--appear, too.