Control of MX record - (Was - Re: [Gllug] Web hosting, email and dns)

[Alain Williams]

On Sat, Sep 07, 2002 at 01:48:37PM +0100, Colin Murphy wrote:

> > If you have ADSL host it yourself -- I do that.
> 
> I have a cable modem, so, close enough.  But I assume you have a fixed IP 
> address?
Yes I have a fix IP address.

> Let me clarify, you run a domain name server on your ADSL connection?
> 
> This then allows you to amend all of the DNS records, inc. MX?
Correct - I do whatever I want. In fact the name server is configured with
views & serves up different answers depending on if the query is external
or from within my (home) network.

> > I have a forwarder (ie a secondary that gets updated when I update my
> > DNS) that is at a site with much better connectivity than ADSL, within
> > the .co.uk they are listed first.
> 
> This is a secondary DNS server or DNS entry on someone elses server?

It is someone elses DNS server that gets zone records from my server and
replies using them to those that want to know about my domain -- the point
being that they have better (faster, more reliable, etc) network connectivity than
my ADSL line.

> > So: I maintain my DNS, a secondary shadows my changes.
> > The rest of the world goes to my secondary in preference to my own
> > machine.
> 
> How does this secondary shadow your changes?

Part of the magic of DNS configuration. My machine:
        zone "phcomp.co.uk" {
                type master;
                // Those that act as secondaries:
                // Don't forget to allow these TCP/domain access through the firewall
                // ns1.barrysworld.com. 213.221.172.238
                // ns2.barrysworld.com. 213.221.172.236
                forwarders { 213.221.172.236; 213.221.172.238; };

                file "ext.named.hosts.phcomp.co.uk";
                allow-query {
                        world;
                };
        };

Those machines will have something like this in their config:
	zone "phcomp.co.uk" in {
        	type slave;
	        file "hosts.phcomp.co.uk";
        	masters { 213.152.38.186; };
	};

The difficult bit is getting .co.uk to point to the correct name servers
in the correct order. Actually, it is easy once you know who to talk to,
finding out is more difficult & I have now forgotten who I asked. Jason
will know.

Cheers

-- 
Alain Williams

#include <std_disclaimer.h>

-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at linux.co.uk
http://list.ftech.net/mailman/listinfo/gllug