Configuring a Solaris 10 system as a

DNS Server running BIND 9.2.4

1.  copy /etc/named.conf from another slave name server, or create it

     copy /var/named/named.ca from another name server, or create it

     copy /var/named/localhost.zone from another name server, or create it

     copy /var/named/localhost.rev from another name server, or create it

2. edit /etc/named.conf

     Use the command "rndc-confgen -a" to generate the rndc key and the associated file /etc/rndc.key

3. check named.conf:

named will refuse to start if it detects an error in named.conf

     # named-checkconf

     /etc/named.conf:6:   change directory to "/var/named" failed: file not found

     /etc/named.conf:6:   parsing failed

     #

4. create directory /var/named:

     # cd /var

     # mkdir named

     #

     # named-checkconf

     #                                                no output = no errors found

5. create subdirectories under /var/named/ if needed

     # cd /var/named

     # mkdir billhance

     # mkdir melissahance

     # mkdir audreyhance

     # mkdir jeffreyhance

     # mkdir ssnix

     # mkdir audubonrentals

     # mkdir CindiFarr

     # mkdir iRun4Fun

     #

6. start the DNS Server

    # svcadm enable /network/dns/server

    #

7.  check the log file for messages for a successful BIND startup

   # tail -10 /var/adm/messages

   May 2 11:55:29 baba named [2827]: [ID 873579 daemon.notice] starting BIND 9.2.4

   May 2 11:55:29 baba named [2827]: [ID 873579 daemon.notice] command channel listening on 127.0.0.1#953

8. make sure BIND starts automatically after a system reboot

ln -s /etc/init.d/dns /etc/rc2.d/S50dns

ln -s /etc/init.d/dns /etc/rc2.d/K50dns

Restarting BIND:

# kill -HUP `cat /dns/var/run/named.pid`

or

# rndc restart

or

# svcadm disable /network/dns/server

#

# svcadm enable /network/dns/server

Creating or Updating the Root Hints file /var/named/named.ca

named.ca is referred to as the "Root Hints" file

First, look at another host system's root hints file, and pick a random IP address of one of the Root-Servers

In this example, we'll use 192.36.148.17, which is currently the address of the host I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET

# cd /var/named

# dig @192.36.148.17 . ns >root_hints.new

#

Look at the file /var/named/root_hints.new that you've just created.

If it looks right, rename it or copy it to /var/named/named.ca.

If one of the ROOT-SERVERs' IP addresses ever gets changed, the DNS Administrator would need to update

the named.ca file, using this same method.  The IP addresses of the ROOT-SERVERs don't change very often.