Configuring and Operating A Tier 2 DNS Server Guide

This guide only covers bind9, other guides should be sent to support@opennicproject.org

OpenNIC supports two methods for running a Tier 2 server using bing9. The first is slaving the root file from a number of Tier 1 servers. This provides the fastest resolution. The second method is to use a hints file to prime your DNS server with knowledge of OpenNIC's Tier 1 servers.

We will first go through the method of slaving the root zone. First, it should be known that Tier 1 servers are the only location to obtain the OpenNIC root zone. Other sources cannot be trusted. OpenNIC's Tier 0 server should never be queried directly.

Here we go, below is the statement to add into your bind named.conf.

zone "." {
	    type slave;
	    file "/etc/bind/zones/db.root";
	    masters { <tier-1-ipaddress>; };
	    allow-transfer { any; };
	notify no;
};

It is best practice to add all of the Tier 1 servers into the ip list above. E.G masters { 58.6.115.45; 58.6.115.46; }; This will allow your zone transfer to work in the event one of the Tier 1 servers goes down. Here is the current list of Tier 1 servers;

* ns1.opennic.glue
* ns2.opennic.glue
* ns3.opennic.glue
* ns4.opennic.glue
* ns5.opennic.glue
* ns6.opennic.glue
* ns21.opennic.glue
* ns22.opennic.glue

Using the hints file is easy to! Below will show you how.

First browse to your bind root dir. Mine is at /etc/bind. When in that dir;

dig . NS @58.6.115.46 > db.root

Your bind named.conf should already contain the below;

zone "." {
	    type hint;
	    file "db.root";
};

Remember that once done, restart bind!

OpenNIC Wiki : RunningT2

Revision [1768]

Configuring and Operating A Tier 2 DNS Server Guide