nstest(1M) (man pages section 1M: System Administration Commands)

man pages section 1M: System Administration Commands

nstest(1M)

NAME

nstest– DNS test shell

SYNOPSIS

nstest

-d

-i

-r

-v

-p

port

inet_addr

logfile

DESCRIPTION

nstest is an interactive DNS test program. Queries are formed and sent by user command; any reply received is printed on the standard output. inet_addr is the Internet address of the DNS resolver to which nstest should send its queries. If inet_addr is not included, nstest first tries to contact a DNS server on the local host; if that fails, it tries the servers listed in the /etc/resolv.conf file. If a logfile is supplied, nstest uses it to log the queries sent and replies received.

OPTIONS

-d: Causes nstest to create a file named ns_packet.dump (if it does not exist) and write into it a raw (binary) copy of each packet sent. If ns_packet.dump does exist, nstest will truncate it.
-i: Sets the RES_IGNTC flag on the queries it makes. See resolver(3RESOLV) for a description of the RES_IGNTC flag.
-r: Turns off the RES_RECURSE flag on the queries it makes. See resolver(3RESOLV) for a description of the RES_RECURSE flag.
-v: Turns on the RES_USEVC and RES_STAYOPEN flags on the res_send () calls made. See resolver(3RESOLV) for a description of the RES_USEVC and RES_STAYOPEN flags.
-p: Causes nstest to use the supplied port instead of the default name server port.

USAGE

When nstest starts, it prints a prompt (">") and waits for user input. DNS queries are formed by typing a key letter followed by the appropriate argument. Each key letter results in a call to res_mkquery () with op set to either IQUERY or QUERY and type set to one of the type values (defined in <arpa/nameser.h>). (Any other key letter than those listed below causes nstest to print a summary of the following table.)

`Key Letter &`
`Argument`	`Op`	`Type`

`ahost`	`QUERY`	`T_A`
`Aaddr`	`IQUERY`	`T_A`
`Buser`	`QUERY`	`T_MG`
`buser`	`QUERY`	`T_MB`
`chost`	`QUERY`	`T_CNAME`
`fhost`	`QUERY`	`T_UINFO`
`Ggid`	`IQUERY`	`T_GID`
`ghost`	`QUERY`	`T_GID`
`hhost`	`QUERY`	`T_HINFO`
`ihost`	`QUERY`	`T_MINFO`
`Mhost`	`QUERY`	`T_MAILB`
`mhost`	`QUERY`	`T_MX`
`nhost`	`QUERY`	`T_NS`
`phost`	`QUERY`	`T_PTR`
`rhost`	`QUERY`	`T_MR`
`shost`	`QUERY`	`T_SOA`
`Thost`	`QUERY`	`T_TXT`
`Uuid`	`IQUERY`	`T_UID`
`uhost`	`QUERY`	`T_UID`
`whost`	`QUERY`	`T_WKS`
`xhost`	`QUERY`	`T_AXFR`

After the query is successfully formed, res_send () is called to send it and wait for a reply. nstest then prints the following on the standard output:

a summary of the request and reply packets, including the HEADER structure (defined in <arpa/nameser.h>) used in the request
the question being asked of the name server
an enumeration of the name server(s) being polled
a summary of the HEADER structure received in the reply
the question the name server answered
the answer itself

EXAMPLES

Example 1 Fetching the Address of a Host From the Sun Name Server

The following command fetches the address of host playground.sun.com from the Sun name server:

$ nstest 192.9.5.1
> aplayground.sun.com

The utility nstest returns the following:

res_mkquery(0, playground.sun.com, 1, 1)
res_send()
HEADER:
        opcode = QUERY, id = 1, rcode = NOERROR
        header flags:  rd
        qdcount = 1, ancount = 0, nscount = 0, arcount = 0

QUESTIONS:
        playground.sun.com, type = A, class = IN

Querying server (# 1) address = 192.9.5.1
got answer:
HEADER:
        opcode = QUERY, id = 1, rcode = NOERROR
        header flags:  qr aa rd ra
        qdcount = 1, ancount = 1, nscount = 0, arcount = 0

QUESTIONS:
        playground.sun.com, type = A, class = IN
ANSWERS:
        playground.sun.com
        type = A, class = IN, ttl = 1 day, dlen = 4
        internet address = 192.9.5.5

Example 2 Looking Up a PTR record

The following command looks up a PTR record:

$ nstest 192.9.5.1
> p5.5.9.192.in-addr.arpa

The utility nstest would return the following:

res_mkquery(0, 5.5.9.192.in-addr.arpa, 1, 12)
res_send()
HEADER:
        opcode = QUERY, id = 2, rcode = NOERROR
        header flags:  rd
        qdcount = 1, ancount = 0, nscount = 0, arcount = 0

QUESTIONS:
        5.5.9.192.in-addr.arpa, type = PTR, class = IN

Querying server (# 1) address = 192.9.5.1
got answer:
HEADER:
        opcode = QUERY, id = 2, rcode = NOERROR
        header flags:  qr aa rd ra
        qdcount = 1, ancount = 1, nscount = 0, arcount = 0

QUESTIONS:
        5.5.9.192.in-addr.arpa, type = PTR, class = IN

ANSWERS:
        5.5.9.192.in-addr.arpa
        type = PTR, class = IN, ttl = 7 hours 47 mins 2 secs, dlen = 23
        domain name = playground.sun.com

FILES

/usr/include/arpa/nameser.h: Include file for implementation of DNS protocol
/usr/include/resolv.h: Include file for the resolver daemon (in.named)

ATTRIBUTES

See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:

ATTRIBUTE TYPE	ATTRIBUTE VALUE
Availability	SUNWcsu