Master DNS Configuration with BIND: Complete Step‑by‑Step Guide

DNS Overview

DNS (Domain Name System) is a distributed database that maps domain names to IP addresses and operates over UDP/TCP port 53.

DNS Functions

Static mapping via /etc/hosts Dynamic mapping via

/etc/resolv.conf

Domain Structure

Typical format:

hostname.subdomain.tld.root

Resource Record Types

A

– IPv4 address AAAA – IPv6 address CNAME – Alias PTR – Reverse lookup NS, MX, SOA, etc.

Common DNS Commands

dig

Usage:

dig [-t type] name [@SERVER] [options]

host

Usage:

host [-t type] name [SERVER]

nslookup

Provides interactive and non‑interactive query modes.

rndc

Control utility for BIND (reload, retransfer, status, etc.).

Installing and Configuring BIND

Install packages bind, bind-libs, and bind-utils. The main configuration file /etc/named.conf defines global options, logging, and zones.

Cache‑only Server

Adjust listen-on, allow-query, and recursion settings to provide caching services.

Authoritative Server

Create zone files in /var/named with SOA, NS, A, MX records, then set permissions to 640 and ownership to the named user.

Reverse Zones

Define PTR records in files such as 100.16.zone with $ORIGIN 16.172.in-addr.arpa. to enable reverse lookups.

Master‑Slave Replication

Configure slave zones using type slave and a masters { … } list to synchronize zone data.

Advanced Features

Sub‑domain Delegation

Parent zones include NS records pointing to child name servers; child zones define their own records.

Forwarding

Global forwarding ( forward first or forward only) and zone‑specific forwarding direct queries to upstream DNS servers.

Views

Use ACLs and view statements to serve different answers to internal and external clients, allowing separate zone files per client group.

Compiling BIND from Source

Configure with --prefix, disable IPv6, enable threads, create a named user, generate rndc keys, and set up minimal root, localhost, and reverse zone files before starting the daemon.