resolv.conf?

[bscott at ntisys.com]

  (This message is more of a general commentary than a specific reply.)

On Tue, 3 Jun 2003, at 4:28pm, pll at lanminds.com wrote:
> Ayup, it's only trying eng.lab, not the other domains listed in my
> /etc/resolv.conf file, which also seems to indicate that my DNS server
> isn't passing the request up the food chain when using 'host' to query it.

  The search path is implemented by DNS clients, not DNS servers.  That is
to say, when you say "ping redsox", it is your client's resolver library
that first tries "redsox.eng.lab", then "redsox.eng.foo.com", and finally
"redsox.corp.foo.com".  The DNS server does not know or care about your
search path.  DNS queries are always for a specific, absolute domain name.

  Apparently, the version of "host" you originally had installed was simply
trying the first possible "search domain" to complete "redsox", and then
stopping.

  The message "(Authoritative answer)" indicates that the reply "host"  
received has the AA (authoritative answer) bit set.  DNS servers set that
bit when they believe they are authoritative for a given domain.  (As
opposed to a forwarded or recursive query.)  Obviously, that bit was set,
since your resolving nameserver was also authoritative for the "eng.lab"
domain.

  If it was the root servers which were the source of the NXDOMAIN (as John
Abreau suggested), then the AA bit would properly *not* be set, since your
resolving server is not authoritative for the root domain.

-- 
Ben Scott <bscott at ntisys.com>
| The opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do  |
| not represent the views or policy of any other person or organization. |
| All information is provided without warranty of any kind.              |