System Administration Guide: Naming and Directory Services (DNS, NIS, and LDAP)

The named.conf File

The BIND configuration file, /etc/named.conf establishes the server as a master, slave, or cache-only name server. It also specifies the zones over which the server has authority and which data files it should read to get its initial data.

The /etc/named.conf file contains statements that implement the following.

The configuration file is read by in.named when the daemon is started by the server's start up script, /etc/init.d/inetsvc. The configuration file directs in.named either to other servers or to local data files for a specified domain.

named.conf Statements

The named.conf file contains statements and comments. Statements end with a semicolon. Some statements can contain a contain a block of statements. Again, each statement in the block is terminated with a semicolon.

The named.conf file supports the following statements.

Table 5–4 named.conf Statements

Statement 

Description 

aclDefines a named IP address match list used for access control. The address match list designates one or more IP addresses (dotted-decimal notation) or IP prefixes (dotted-decimal notation followed with a slash and the number of bits in the netmask). The named IP address match list must be defined by an acl statement before it can be used elsewhere; no forward references allowed.
includeInserts an include file at the point where the include statement is encountered. Use include to break up the configuration into more easily managed chunks.
keySpecifies a key ID used for authentication and authorization on a particular name server. See the server statement.
logging Specifies the information the server logs and the destination of log messages.
options Controls global server configuration options and sets default values for other statements.
server Sets designated configuration options associated with a remote name server. Selectively applies options on a per-server basis, rather than to all servers.
zone Defines a zone. Selectively applies options on a per-zone basis, rather than to all zones.


Example 5–13 Example Master Configuration File for a master server


options {
         directory "/var/named";
         datasize 2098;
         forward only;
         forwarders {
                  99.11.33.44;
         };
         recursion no;
         transfers-in 10;
         transfers-per-ns 2;
         allow-transfer {
                  127.0.1.1/24;
         };
};

logging {
         category queries { default_syslog; };
};

include "/var/named/abcZones.conf"

// here are the names of the master files
zone "cities.zn" {
         type master;
         file "db.cities.zn";
};

zone "0.0.127.in-addr.arpa." {
         type master;
         file "db.127.cities.zn";
};

zone "168.192.in-addr.arpa" {
         type master;
         file "db.cities.zn.rev";
};

zone "sales.doc.com" {
         type slave;
         file "slave/db.sales.doc";
         masters {
                  192.168.1.151;
         };
};

zone "168.192.in-addr.arpa" {
         type slave;
         file "slave/db.sales.doc.rev";
         masters {
                  192.168.1.151;
         };
};