discuss: who is responsible for the tldp.org domain name
Subject:
Re: [discuss] Re: who is responsible for the tldp.org domain name
From:
Rick Moen ####@####.####
Date:
7 Nov 2008 09:28:52 +0000
Message-Id: <20081107092756.GS5561@linuxmafia.com>
Quoting Jean-Daniel Dodin ####@####.####
> at least, from our front page (tldp.org) we have br, it and es subdomains.
Well, OK, but the point is that the DNS for them does not appear to be
delegated. I mean, I could create a subdomain of "cosanostra" under
linuxmafia.com, too, and populate it with hostnames like:
vito.cosanostra.linuxmafia.com
fredo.cosanostra.linuxmafia.com
sonny.cosanostra.linuxmafia.com
However, unless and until I delegated that subdomain, it remains defined
solely in the main linuxmafia.com nameserver(s), not ones specific to
the subdomain.
The way you detect delegation is the way I described before.
If you want to see a real-world example of delegation, do these two
commands, and compare the results:
$ dig -t ns research.att.net +trace
$ dig -t ns att.net +trace
The first of those traces down through from the DNS root nameservers to
those for subdomain "research.att.net". The second does the same for
the unqualified "att.net". Notice that the sets of nameservers in the
final step are different. That's delegation at work.
> I "know" this, that is I read the doc and understand it at the moment
> I read, but I'm far from mastering this.whois
I hope the above helps. The odd thing is, now that I compare the "ns"
results for br.tldp.org versus tldp.org, I notice something very
strange: There are now _three_ nameservers for tldp.org:
$ dig -t ns tldp.org +short
ns.unc.edu.
ns2.unc.edu.
ncnoc.ncren.net.
However, by comparison, only the first two are nameservers for
br.tldp.org. Something strange going on, there.
> so this have to be managed by ibiblio admins?
Whoever runs ns.unc.edu.
> we have three servers
>
> * gabber (gabber.metalab.unc.edu) and reggae (reggae.metalab.unc.edu)
> are vservers running on the hardware new one, gabber is for mailing
> lists and reggae for the wiki (all this setup by Sergius)
OK. However, the mere fact that one runs a nameserver on a host doesn't
make the public consult it for particular domains' nameservice. For
that to happen, the nameserver must be on the domain's list of
authoritative servers. Which does not appear to be the case with
gabber or reggae.
I mean, I could make my own ns1.linuxmafia.com nameserver declare itself
the source of information for domain number10.gov.uk, but I doubt the
world would pay much attention. ;->
Now, if you _want_ to run tldp.org's nameservice on reggae and gabber,
that's quite easy: One configures a nameserver package on the two
hosts, populates it would tldp.org's zonefile, and (last) uses Guylhem's
access to the tldp.org domain record at Gandi.net to alter the list of
authoritative nameservers, to match whatever roster of nameservers the
volunteers wish to use. (UNC/metalab's gift of nameservice on its three
nameservers should not, IMO, be turned down, however.)
There are particular details. For example, one must arrange for zone
replication among the roster of nameservers. Most conventionally, this
is done by designating one as master and making all the others pull down
zone revisions from it. There are also other ways to do it.
And one wishes to have at least three nameservers and no more than seven
(per the RFCs). Those really should be physically distinct machines:
E.g., a host plus two vservers on that host do not equal three DNS
nameservers for purposes of service redundancy.
At least two of the authoritative nameservers should be in different
locations so that the same router failure or AC power outage or fire or
earthquake or hurricane cannot take out all of your nameservice at once.
And so on.
