Basic, getting started

Re: Basic, getting started - Part II

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On 07/07/03 at 10:25 -0400, Nicholas J. Rufa opined:

> Chris did indeed fix the problem resulting from the bad installer
> (THANKS!). The server and manager are running fine.
>
> But I have another basic DNS question.
>
> What name server do I tell my registrar to use for my new DNS server?
>
> Currently I use my ISP's name server (ns1.intellispace.net). My
> server, NS1.MYDOMAIN.COM exists only on my machine, at my IP address.

If you want your name server to be authoritative for your domain(s), you
give the registrar its IP address.

> How do the root servers find out about my server?

You (as the registrant of your domain names) tell them about it by
modifying the registration records for your domain(s) with your registrar.
That is, you add your name server's IP address to the list of name servers
for the zone(s).

> Do they transfer zone information first then I tell my ISP to switch to
> NS1.MYDOMAIN.COM?
>
> Do I need to do something/turn something on?

Nobody's going to automatically transfer zone data anywhere. You need to
set up your zone(s) on your name server, either manually or by getting a
copy from your ISP, or whoever is currently doing your DNS for you. You
don't need to tell your ISP to switch anything to your name server. Once
you've updated your domain registration(s), the root servers will tell the
world that your name server is now authoritative for the zone(s). It would,
however, be polite for you to let your ISP know that you're now doing your
own DNS so that they can either remove the zone(s) from their server(s) or
set their server(s) up to slave (a.k.a. secondary) the zone(s) for you.

You might also want to acquire a copy of 'DNS & BIND' from O'Reilly Press.
It's the de facto bible of DNS and answers these questions and more.

--
Christopher Bort | cbort@globalhomes.com
Webmaster, Global Homes | webmaster@globalhomes.com
<http://www.globalhomes.com/>

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