TCP/IPv6 Configuration and Management Manual (G06.29+, H06.03+, J06.03+)

Domain Name Server (DNS)
HP NonStop TCP/IPv6 Configuration and Management Manual—524523-012
E-2
Types of Domain Name Servers
For more information on domain names, refer to RFC 1034 and RFC 1035 available
from the DDN Network Information Center. Also, refer to the book TCP/IP Illustrated by
W. Richard Stevens, Prentice Hall, 1994.
The Domain Name Server (DNS) was ported from BSD BIND 4.8.
Types of Domain Name Servers
There are four basic types of Domain Name Servers:

Master Server

Caching-Only Server

Remote Server on page E-3

Slave Server on page E-3
Master Server
A master server for a domain is the authority for that domain. This server maintains all
the data corresponding to its domain. Each domain should have at least two master
servers: a primary master and one (or more) secondary masters to provide backup
service if the primary is unavailable or overloaded. A server can be a master for
multiple domains, primary for some domains, and secondary for others. The functions
of each type of server are:
Caching-Only Server
All servers are caching servers, meaning that the server caches the information it
receives for use until the data expires. A caching-only server is a server that is not
authoritative for any domain. This server services queries and asks other servers that
are authoritative for the information needed. All servers keep data in their cache until
the data expires. The expiration time is based on a time-to-live field (the time after
which the data in the cache becomes invalid) associated with the data when it is
received from another server.
Note. You should read RFCs 819, 920, 974, 1032, 1033, 1034, 1035, and 1101 before you
attempt to configure the server.
Primary Server A primary master server loads its data from a disk file. This
server also can delegate authority to other servers in its domain.
Secondary
Server
A secondary master server is delegated authority and receives
its data from a primary master server. At startup time, a
secondary server requests all the data for the given zone from
the primary master server. The secondary server periodically
checks with the primary server to see if the primary needs to
update its data.