Administering DNS (Tasks)

The following tasks are documented:

How to Install the DNS Package
How to Configure a DNS Server
How to Create an rndc.conf File
How to Configure DNS Server Options
How to Run the DNS Service as an Alternative User
How to Enable a DNS Client
How to Troubleshoot DNS Server Startup Issues
How to Verify the DNS Configuration

How to Install the DNS Package

Normally, the DNS package is automatically installed with the Oracle Solaris release. If the package was not included when the server was installed, use the following procedure to install the package.

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.

Install the DNS package.

# pkg install pkg:/service/network/dns/bind

How to Configure a DNS Server

Note - Configuring named to specify a change root directory is not recommended. A more secure option is to create a Solaris Zone and configure named to run within that zone.

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.
Create and verify a DNS configuration file.
Before the named daemon will start, a valid configuration file must exist. The file is called /etc/named.conf by default. The configuration of named might be very simple. An empty file provides sufficient information to configure a caching only server, assuming that DNS root servers are accessible.
```
# touch /etc/named.conf
# named-checkconf -z /etc/named.conf
```
(Optional) Create an rndc configuration file.
This file is used to configure remote control access of the DNS server.
```
# rndc-confgen -a
wrote key file "/etc/rndc.key"
```
(Optional) Change configuration information for the dns/server service.
See How to Configure DNS Server Options.
Start the DNS service.
```
# svcadm enable network/dns/server
```

How to Create an `rndc.conf` File

The /etc/rndc.conf file is used to configure remote control access of the DNS server daemon, named, by using the rndc command. To create a default file, use the following procedure. Refer to the rndc.conf(4) man page for further options.

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.

Create the rndc configuration file.

# rndc-confgen -a
wrote key file "/etc/rndc.key

Restart the DNS service.
```
# svcadm restart dns/server:default
```

How to Configure DNS Server Options

This procedure explains how to select the IPv4 transport protocol for named traffic. See the named(1M) man page.

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.

Change the configuration information for the dns/server service.

# svccfg -s network/dns/server
svc:/network/dns/server:default> setprop options/ip_interfaces = "IPv4"
svc:/network/dns/server:default> quit

Update the SMF repository and enable the DNS service.

# svcadm refresh network/dns/server
# svcadm enable network/dns/server

How to Run the DNS Service as an Alternative User

This procedure explains how to assign a user the relevant authorizations to manage the named daemon.

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.

Add the user to the appropriate role.

# usermod -A solaris.smf.manage.bind dnsadmin

Set service properties for the user.

# svccfg -s network/dns/server
svc:/network/dns/server:default> setprop start/user = dnsadmin
svc:/network/dns/server:default> setprop start/group = dnsadmin
svc:/network/dns/server:default> exit

Create a directory for a new process ID file.
Because only root has write access to create the default process ID file, /var/run/named/named.pid, the named daemon must be configured to use an alternative file.
```
# mkdir /var/named/tmp
# chown dnsadmin /var/named/tmp
```

Change the configuration to use the new directory.

Add the following lines to the named.conf file:

# head /etc/named.conf
options {
directory "/var/named";
pid-file "/var/named/tmp/named.pid";
};

Update the SMF repository and restart the DNS service.

# svcadm refresh svc:/network/dns/server:default
# svcadm restart svc:/network/dns/server:default

How to Enable a DNS Client

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.

Configure the DNS domain.

First, list the domains to search and the IP addresses for the DNS name servers. Then, update the SMF repository.

# svccfg -s network/dns/client
svc:/network/dns/client> setprop config/search = astring: ("example.com" "sales.example.com")
svc:/network/dns/client> setprop config/nameserver = net_address: (192.168.1.10 192.168.1.11)
svc:/network/dns/client> select network/dns/client:default
svc:/network/dns/client:default> refresh
svc:/network/dns/client:default> quit

Update name service switch information to use DNS.

The first command updates the DNS configuration information in the SMF repository.

# svccfg -s system/name-service/switch
svc:/system/name-service/switch> setprop config/host = astring: "files dns"
svc:/system/name-service/switch> select system/name-service/switch:default
svc:/system/name-service/switch:default> refresh
svc:/system/name-service/switch:default> quit

Write the new information into the /etc/resolv.conf file.
The /etc/resolv.conf is still used by some processes so after any changes to the SMF repository that would change the contents of the file, the file should be recreated.
```
# nscfg export svc:/network/dns/client:default
```

Start the services needed to run the DNS client.

# svcadm enable network/dns/client
# svcadm enable system/name-service/switch

How to Troubleshoot DNS Server Startup Issues

All of these steps do not have to be followed. If you think you find the problem in an early step you may proceed to step 6 to get the service running properly.

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.

Check the DNS service status.

# svcs -x dns/server:default
svc:/network/dns/server:default (BIND DNS server)
 State: online since Tue Oct 18 19:35:00 2011
   See: named(1M)
   See: /var/svc/log/network-dns-server:default.log
Impact: None.

Check the DNS service log file.

# tail /var/svc/log/network-dns-server:default.log

Check syslog messages.
```
# grep named /var/adm/messages
```
Start the named daemon manually.
Running named in the foreground forces all logging to standard error so that it is easier to identify problems.
```
# named -g
```

After the issue has been fixed, clear the maintenance required state.

# svcadm clear dns/server:default
# svcs dns/server:default
STATE          STIME    FMRI
online         17:59:08 svc:/network/dns/server:default

How to Verify the DNS Configuration

When modifying the DNS configuration, you can verify the syntax of the /etc/named.conf file with the named-checkzone command.

Become an administrator.
For more information, see How to Use Your Assigned Administrative Rights in Oracle Solaris 11.1 Administration: Security Services.
Change the configuration file, as needed.
In this example, the default directory is changed.
```
# echo 'options {directory "/var/named";};' > /etc/named.conf
```

Verify the file contents.

# named-checkconf
/etc/named.conf:1: change directory to '/var/named' failed: file not found

/etc/named.conf:1: parsing failed

In this example, the check failed because the /var/named directory has not yet been created.

Correct any errors reported.
```
# mkdir /var/named
```
Repeat steps 3 and 4 until no errors are reported.
(Optional) To reflect the change in the running service use one of the methods below:
- Use the rndc command to update the configuration using the reload or reconfig option, depending on the changes made.
- Restart the named service.
```
# svcadm restart svc:/network/dns/server:default
```

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