How to configure BIND-9.2 DNS server in linux

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NOTE: Please take a copy of the original configuration file before making any changes to it.

Using this method you will be able to configure your machine as master DNS server for forward and reverse lookups.

Few things you need to check before starting with configuration:

For explanation I am using 192.168.0.100 (you need to give your machine's IP instead) and all other conventions will vary as per your scenario. So make sure to change them.

# vi /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0
IPADDR=192.168.0.100 (will vary accordingly)

# vi /etc/resolv.conf
nameserver 192.168.0.100

# vi /etc/hosts
192.168.0.100 server.example.com server (make sure this line is present)

# vi /etc/sysconfig/network
HOSTNAME=server.example.com

you can use yum to install the binary packages. These are the packages you will be needing for the same

# yum -y install bind
# yum -y install caching-nameserver

All the files required for the configuration of nameserver are installed in the below mentioned locatoion.These are the steps you need to follow

/usr/share/doc/bind-9.3.3/sample/

you can verify the location of installed files using this command

# rpm -ql bind

So copy all the files to the new location i.e

# cp /usr/share/doc/bind-9.3.3/sample/etc/*  /var/named/chroot/etc/
# cp /usr/share/doc/bind-9.3.3/sample/var/named/*  /var/named/chroot/var/named/
# cp /usr/share/doc/bind-9.3.3/sample/var/named/slaves/*  /var/named/chroot/var/named/slaves/
# cp /etc/named.caching-nameserver  /var/named/chroot/etc/named.conf
# cd /var/named/chroot/etc/

Now edit the following files as mentioned below

# vi named.conf (check the entries in the yellow lines)
options {
     listen-on port 53 { 127.0.0.1; };
#    listen-on-v6 port 53 { ::1; };
     directory "/var/named";
     dump-file "/var/named/data/cache_dump.db";
     statistics-file "/var/named/data/named_stats.txt";
     memstatistics-file "/var/named/data/named_mem_stats.txt";
     query-source port 53;
     query-source-v6 port 53;
     allow-query { localhost; 192.168.0.0/24; };
};

logging {
     channel default_debug {
     file "data/named.run";
     severity dynamic;
};
};
view localhost_resolver {
     match-clients { localhost; 192.168.0.0/24; };
     match-destinations { localhost; 192.168.0.0/24; };
     recursion yes;
     include "/etc/named.rfc1912.zones";
} ;

# vi named.rfc1912.zones
(add these two zones)
zone "example.com" IN {
type master;
file "example.com.zone";
allow-update {none;};
};

zone "0.168.192.in-addr.arpa" IN {
type master;
file "192.168.0.zone";
allow-update{none;};
};

# cd /var/named/chroot/var/named/
# cp named.local 192.168.0.zone
# cp localhost.zone example.com.zone

# vi example.com.zone
$TTL 86400 @ IN SOA server.example.com. root.example.com. (
52 ; serial
3H ; refresh
15M ; retry
1W ; expiry
1D ) ; minimum

        IN  NS   server.example.com.
        IN  MX   10 server.example.com.
server  IN  A    192.168.0.100
www     IN  CNAME    server.example.com.

# vi 192.168.0.zone
$TTL 86400
@ IN SOA server.example.com. root.server.example.com. (
1997022703 ; Serial
28800 ; Refresh
14400 ; Retry
3600000 ; Expire
86400 ) ; Minimum

    IN NS server.example.com.
100 IN PTR server.example.com.

Restart the named server once you are done with all the configuration.

# service named restart

If you get any error message and your service ends up with a failed status then check the log messages for troubleshooting. I will guide with few of the problems I came up with and the way I overcome those errors at the end of the configuration

Check your DNS

# ping google.com
PING google.com (74.125.236.195) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from maa03s17-in-f3.1e100.net (74.125.236.195): icmp_seq=1 ttl=53 time=48.6 ms
64 bytes from maa03s17-in-f3.1e100.net (74.125.236.195): icmp_seq=2 ttl=53 time=54.1 ms
64 bytes from maa03s17-in-f3.1e100.net (74.125.236.195): icmp_seq=3 ttl=53 time=50.7 ms
64 bytes from maa03s17-in-f3.1e100.net (74.125.236.195): icmp_seq=4 ttl=53 time=50.5 ms

# dig -x 192.168.0.100
; <<>> DiG 9.3.3rc2 <<>> -x 192.168.0.100
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 45439
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 1,  ADDITIONAL: 1
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;100.0.168.192.in-addr.arpa. IN PTR
;; ANSWER SECTION:
100.0.168.192.in-addr.arpa. 86400 IN PTR server.example.com.
;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
0.168.192.in-addr.arpa. 86400 IN NS server.example.com.
;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
server.example.com. 86400 IN A 192.168.0.100
;; Query time: 1 msec
;; SERVER: 192.168.0.100#53(192.168.0.100)
;; WHEN: Thu Nov 10 07:55:59 2011
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 107

# nslookup server.example.com
Server: 192.168.0.100
Address: 192.168.0.100#53

Name: server.example.com
Address: 192.168.0.100