DNS Configuration and Management Manual (G06.27+, H06.05+, J06.03+)

DNS and BIND Basics
HP DNS Configuration and Management Manual—529432-003
A-4
Lightweight Resolver Library and Demon
If the named process is configured as a persistent process, the system automatically
starts it upon reload or whenever the process is stopped. Alternatively, you can start it
at the command line or by running a script. The
named process, when it starts, reads
the named.conf to determine:
•
If the server is a master, slave, or cache-only domain name server for the specified
domains.
•
In which local files, if any, the domain information resides, and what are the IP
addresses of the root, master, and delegated servers. This data is in the form of
resource records (RRs)
The servers for a particular domain do not have to belong to that domain. For example,
the slave server
namesvr2.hp.com can contain the resource record for the domain
animals.hp.com. No resolution problem occurs because the IP addresses of the
servers are always configured.
When a server receives a query for an external domain, it first contacts the root server
to find the nearest server to the target domain. The local server then contacts this
remote server, which either provides the requested information or a referral address of
another server. The server then caches both the remote servers addresses and the
data returned in the resource record (RR). At configurable intervals, this cached data
times out.
You can configure a host as any of the following types of BIND name servers:
•
Master server
•
Slave server
•
Cache-only server
•
Forwarding server
Lightweight Resolver Library and Demon
See Section 2, BIND 9.x on the NonStop Server for information about the lightweight
resolver library and demon.
How BIND Works
This subsection describes how the name server resolves host names, including the
following topics:
•
Overview on page A-4
•
The Resolution Process on page A-6
Overview
BIND operates through resolution. Resolution is the process by which name servers
locate data in the name space. A resolver seeks an answer to one specific question.