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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 9.2.2. You can start and stop DNS service on
Mac OS X Server using the Server Admin application. You can use Server Admin 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.
Zone Data Files
Zone data files consist of paired address files and reverse lookup files. Address records link host names (host1.example.com) to IP addresses. Reverse lookup records do the opposite, linking IP addresses to host names. Address record files are named after your domain name– for example, example.com. Reverse lookup file names look like part of an IP address, such as db.192.168.12.
By default, the zone data files are located in /var/named/.
Practical Example
The following example allows you to create a basic DNS configuration using BIND for a typical network behind a Network Address Translation (NAT) device that connects to an ISP. The port (cable
Mac OS X Server in the directories listed in the steps below. This example also assumes the following:
•The IP address of the WAN interface is determined by your ISP.
•The IP address of the LAN interface is 10.0.1.1.
•The IP address of the Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server computer that will be used as the DNS server is 10.0.1.2.
•The IP addresses for client computers are 10.0.1.3 through 10.0.1.254.
If IP address assignment is provided by the NAT device via DHCP, it must be configured with the above information. Please consult your router or gateway manual for instructions on configuring its DHCP server.
If your NAT device connects to the Internet, you also need to know the DNS server addresses provided by your ISP.
Chapter 2 DNS Service