Does InterNIC Think Your DNS Servers Are Working?

• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SUMMARY

Although InterNIC has required a primary and secondary name server in the past, it did not always fully verify their functionality. InterNIC is now consistently verifying whether the servers you have specified are lame. Lame, as defined by InterNIC, is "the condition whereby a name-space is delegated to an entity but that entity will not answer to that name". If the nslookup utility returns an authoritative answer (when queried for a Status Of Authority [SOA] resource record) for your domain name, then your servers are not considered lame.

See the following on the InterNIC server for more information:

InterNIC Lame Delegation Policy:

   ftp://rs.internic.net/policy/internic/internic-domain-5.txt

   http://rs.internic.net

MORE INFORMATION

How to Test Your DNS Server

In this article, you will be using the NSLOOKUP command-line utility provided with Windows NT Server. Type NSLOOKUP at an MS-DOS command prompt, then press Enter. This will start NSLOOKUP in interactive mode (as opposed to line mode). You will now see that the prompt is a greater than (>) sign. Type a question mark "?" without the quotes, and then press enter. This will give you the commands available for use in NSLOOKUP. Also, to quit gracefully from the NSLOOKUP utility, type "exit" and press enter.

There are three commands you can use to test our name servers: SERVER, SET, and `NAME'. `NAME' is not actually a command, it is just the fully qualified domain name as specified in the WHOIS record. The WHOIS database is maintained by InterNIC and contains information for all domain names registered to it.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q169213
   TITLE     : How to Verify Internet Domain Registration Info with
               InterNIC

The whois client utility is not available with Windows NT. You can access this information through the World Wide Web at:

   http://rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/whois

By telnet 198.41.0.5.

Below is a what you would see using telnet.

In Windows NT 4.0, click the Start button, click Run, and type TELNET 198.41.0.5

You will see the following on your screen. Comments are preceded by *****

Trying 198.41.0.5 port 23... Connected to 198.41.0.5.

*************************************************************************** * -- InterNIC Registration Services Center -- *

* For wais, type:                    WAIS <search string> <return>
* For the *original* whois type:     WHOIS [search string] <return>
* For referral whois type:           RWHOIS [search string] <return>
*

6/1/94 We are offering an experimental distributed whois service called referral whois (RWhois). To find out more, look for RWhois documents, a sample client and server under: gopher: (rs.internic.net) InterNIC Registration Services ->

        InterNIC Registration Archives -> pub -> rwhois
        anonymous ftp: (rs.internic.net) /pub/rwhois

   734 Crater Street
   Charlotte, NC 28205
   US

   Domain Name: TEST.NET

   Administrative Contact:
      Administrator  (ADM214-ORG)  administrator@TEST.NET
      704-342-4664 (FAX) 704-342-1144
   Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
      Test, Russ  (RO553)  russ@TEST.NET
      704-342-4664 (FAX) 704-342-1144
   Billing Contact:
      Test, Lisa  (LL1079)  lisa@TEST.NET
      704-342-4664 (FAX) 704-342-1144

   Record last updated on 19-Dec-96.
   Record created on 19-Dec-96.
   Database last updated on 20-May-97 05:00:33 EDT.

   Domain servers in listed order:

   NS1.TEST.NET              123.123.123.253
   HARRIS2.DIABLO1.COM  200.200.200.1

  by a keyword, like "host diis". Type "?" for short, 2-page
  details, "HELP" for full documentation, or hit RETURN to exit.

Press ENTER to exit Whois.

[ansi] InterNIC >

*****Record the Domain servers listed in the WHOIS record and their ip *****addresses.

[ansi] InterNIC > logout

*****This is what you would expect from a properly configured name server *****and WHOIS record:

*****(Remember, these are examples, please replace all mentions of

*****ns1.test.net   with your primary DNS servers hostname and
*****harris2.diablo1.com     with your secondary DNS servers hostname.)

>

>SERVER ns1.test.net Default Server: ns1.test.net

Address:   123.123.123.253

Test.net nameserver = ns1.test.net Test.net nameserver = harris2.diablo1.com Test.net

   Primary name server = ns1.test.net
   Responsible mail addr = Administrator.test.net
   Serial = 5
   Refresh = 3600 (1 hour)
   Retry    = 600 (10 mins)
   Expire   = 86400 (1 day)
   Default TTL = 3600 (1 hour)

*****The above is an example of an "authoritative answer." The name server, *****NS1.TEST.NET, returned the SOA (Status of Authority) record for the *****domain TEST.NET.

*****This is what to expect from a lame server. HARRIS2.DIABLO1.COM is *****listed as TEST.NETs secondary name server and is required to be *****authoritative for the TEST.NET domain:

> >NSLOOKUP Default Server: ntw.test.net Address: 200.200.200.5

>SERVER harris2.diablo1.com Default Server: harris2.diablo1.com

Address:   200.200.200.1

Non-authoritative answer:

test.net     nameserver = ns1.test.net
test.net     nameserver = harris2.diablo1.com

test.net     nameserver = ns1.test.net
test.net     nameserver = ns2.test.netn
ns1.test.NET          internet address = 123.123.123.253
harris2.diablo1.com      internet address = 200.200.200.1

>NSLOOKUP Default Server: wow.diablo1.com Address: 200.200.200.199

>SERVER harris2.diablo1.com Default Server: harris2.diablo1.com

Address:   200.200.200.1

DNS request timed out.

         Timeout was 2 seconds.

         Timeout was 4 seconds.

         Timeout was 8 seconds.

(OR)

*** harris2.diablo1.com can't find test.net.: No response from server

*****The above is considered a lame server as well. This server isn't even *****listening for DNS queries or doesn't even exist!

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q171789
   TITLE     : PTR Record for DNS Server is not Automatically Created