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DNS and BIND, Fifth Edition

By Paul Albitz, Cricket Liu
Fifth Edition  May 2006 
Pages: 640
ISBN 10: 0-596-10057-4 | ISBN 13: 9780596100575
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Book description

The fifth edition covers BIND 9.3.2, the most recent release of the BIND 9 series, as well as BIND 8.4.7. BIND 9.3.2 contains further improvements in security and IPv6 support, and important new features such as internationalized domain names, ENUM (electronic numbering), and SPF (the Sender Policy Framework). Whether you're an administrator involved with DNS on a daily basis or a user who wants to be more informed about the Internet and how it works, you'll find that this book is essential reading.
Full Description

DNS and BIND tells you everything you need to work with one of the Internet's fundamental building blocks: the distributed host information database that's responsible for translating names into addresses, routing mail to its proper destination, and even listing phone numbers with the new ENUM standard. This book brings you up-to-date with the latest changes in this crucial service.

The fifth edition covers BIND 9.3.2, the most recent release of the BIND 9 series, as well as BIND 8.4.7. BIND 9.3.2 contains further improvements in security and IPv6 support, and important new features such as internationalized domain names, ENUM (electronic numbering), and SPF (the Sender Policy Framework).

Whether you're an administrator involved with DNS on a daily basis or a user who wants to be more informed about the Internet and how it works, you'll find that this book is essential reading.

Topics include:
  • What DNS does, how it works, and when you need to use it
  • How to find your own place in the Internet's namespace
  • Setting up name servers
  • Using MX records to route mail
  • Configuring hosts to use DNS name servers
  • Subdividing domains (parenting)
  • Securing your name server: restricting who can query your server, preventing unauthorized zone transfers, avoiding bogus servers, etc.
  • The DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) and Transaction Signatures (TSIG)
  • Mapping one name to several servers for load sharing
  • Dynamic updates, asynchronous notification of change to a zone, and incremental zone transfers
  • Troubleshooting: using nslookup and dig, reading debugging output, common problems
  • DNS programming using the resolver library and Perl's Net::DNS module

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Help for System Administrators,  October 11 2006
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Submitted by mickey knight   [Respond | View]

While taking the Red Hat course( RHA-230 )that covers many aspects of System administration I began my study of Bind and the nmaed service.

I decided I would set up a couple of DNS servers, each with a corresponding web and ftp sites. I used Red Hat Linux AS on one and the Centos clone ES4 on the other.

The web sites were easy enough to get going, but in order to get DNS working took more effort. After I read the manuals that ship with the Bind software, I spent many hours searching the web on DNS, but was unable to get my DNS servers working properly.

I googled for a good book on the subject and of course, O'Reilly was at the top of the list.

After looking at the various options here, I bought DNS and Bind , 5th edition from Borders Books.

This book is a great resource that covers Bind in a way that I could understand.

It has very descriptive examples that cleared up many misconceptions I had from the internet and my studies.


The book gives a good introduction to the subject of DNS. It explains the use and workings of the many tools used by Sysops to verify the operation of the service.

It gives real world examples on how to use dig, nslookup and host in ways never covered by the man pages.


After reading just 100 pages I was able to get both servers up and pointing to the correct web sites.

If you need working DNS servers and do not yet possess the expertise to build them, buy this book.



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Media reviews

"...this venerable bible of the DNS is now up to its 5th edition, which brings it into sync with Bind 9.3.2. Carefully written, loads of examples. It's a pity that I didn't have the 5th edition beside me when I was attempting this exercise, as Bind 9.3.2 redid its DNSSEC utilities, and the 4th edition of this book is, sadly, outdated in some critical details of DNSSEC utilities."
-- Geoff Huston, The ISP Column

"Excellent book, essential for the BIND administrator. This is a truly remarkable book. It has been revised and improved over its 14-year history, resulting in a vast and authoritative yet readable account of DNS and especially BIND."
-- Andrew Stribblehill, Durham University Computing Society

"...provides systems administrators with plenty of technical detail for mastering one of the basic building blocks of the net--the distributed host information database--which does everything from route mail to listing phone numbers. "
-- Diane Donovan, California Bookwatch

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"Excellent book, essential for the BIND administrator. "
--Andrew Stribblehill, Durham University Computing Society