DNS: dot querys

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server SLES Networking
1

Today I have installed a nameserver using bind. After configuring the first clients I noticed a problem when logging of. Each logoff causes a delay from about 10 seconds.

I tried to identify the problem using tcpdump. And I could see that with each logoff and DNS query “.” is running.

16:07:23.373217 IP fcbsrv03.36468 > fcbxen53.domain: 18357+ A? . (17)

So the first question is “what is the reason for the dot query”?

I checked a nameserver in an other environment and this server answers the query with a quick

[CODE]pagdns001:/var/lib/named/master # nslookup .
Server: 172.23.0.8
Address: 172.23.0.8#53

Non-authoritative answer:
*** Can’t find .: No answer[/CODE]

But the new nameserver is forwarding the query to his forwarders and ends with a timeout after 10 to 15 seconds. Which is causing the delay when logging off.

[CODE]fcbsrv03:~ # time nslookup .
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

real 0m15.026s
user 0m0.008s
sys 0m0.004s[/CODE]

I have double-checked the configuration but I could not find a difference. So why does the new server forward the request and the other one not?

2

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3

Have you created a root hints file for your DNS server?
Is this a real registered domain with a real SOA? ( or just a local internal domain? )

what does your nsswitch.conf and resolv.conf look like on the one that doesn’t work?

4

Hi A13923,

  			Today I have installed a nameserver using bind. [...] I tried to identify the problem using tcpdump.

what type of server did you set up - a simple forwarder, or does this DNS server answer local zones, too?
Did you try turning query logging on within the DNS server?

That “.” query does seem a bit strange, indeed. How’s the “.” zone set up in your named.conf? Is is somehow included in other configuration elements (included files, LDAP, …)? Do “.” zone dumps from both name daemons compare?

Maybe I should have asked first… what named daemon have you set up, and on which platform? :wink:

Regards,
Jens