Apple Mac OS X Server (version 10.2.3 or later) - Manual (Page 558)

558 Chapter 14
m Canonical Name (CName): Asks for the “real name” of a server when given a “nickname”
or alias. For example, mail.apple.com might have a canonical name of
MailSrv473.apple.com.
m Pointer (PTR): Asks for the domain name of a given IP address (reverse lookup).
m Mail Exchanger (MX): Asks which computer in a zone is used for email.
m Start Of Authority (SOA): Asks for name server information shared with other name
servers and possibly the email address of the technical contact for this name server.
m Text (TXT): Asks for text records used by the administrator.
To see DNS usage statistics:
1 In Server Status, click DNS in the Devices & Services list.
2 Click the Activity tab to view operations currently in progress and usage statistics.
Inside DNS Service (Configuring BIND)
In order to set up and use DNS service on Mac OS X Server you need to configure BIND.
Configuring BIND requires making changes to UNIX configuration files in the Terminal
application. To configure BIND, you must be comfortable with typing UNIX commands and
using a UNIX text editor. Only manipulate these settings if you have a thorough
understanding of DNS and BIND, preferably as an experienced DNS administrator.
What Is BIND?
As stated at the beginning of this chapter, BIND stands for Berkeley Internet Name Domain.
BIND runs on UNIX-based operating systems and is distributed as open-source software.
BIND is used on the majority of name servers on the Internet today.
BIND is configured by editing text files containing information about how you want BIND to
behave and information about the servers on your network. If you wish to learn more about
DNS and BIND, resources are listed at the end of this chapter.
BIND on Mac OS X Server
Mac OS X Server uses BIND version 8.2.3. You can start and stop DNS service on Mac OS X
Server using the Server Settings application. You can use Server Status to view DNS status
and usage statistics.
BIND Configuration File
By default, BIND looks for a configuration file labeled “named.conf ” in the /etc directory.
This file contains commands you can use to configure BIND’s many options. It also specifies
the directory to use for zone data files.
Warning Incorrect BIND configurations can result in serious network problems.
LL0395.Book Page 558 Wednesday, November 20, 2002 11:44 AM