You are a savvy Net wrangler; doubtless you already know a bit about the
Domain Name System. You know that it's why we are able to have nice
memorizable domain names, and not just numbers.
You probably even know that when you type "snackfight.com" into your
browser, your computer contacts a DNS server to find out what numerical
IP address the domain name corresponds to.
Let's take a closer look, though, at exactly how this all works, what exactly is going on, and even how to set up a DNS server of your very own. Wait, you say —
your ISP already provides DNS service for you. Why would you want to set up
your own? I knew you'd ask that.
There are a few reasons why it can be beneficial to run your own DNS
server. First, it's fun and educational. Second, you are a control
freak, and want to have as much of your site under your thumb as possible.
If you are frequently or imminently changing machines, host names, IP
addresses, ISPs, or other factors, or if you have a whole lot of Web
addresses to maintain, it is much easier to update your own data each time
rather than faxing forms to the various providers and hoping you get
everything right and they get everything right and that a virtual
tug-of-war doesn't ensue. Also, if you control your own DNS, you can do all
sorts of neat
tricks.
In this article, I'll explain the different types of DNS records, what they contain, and then go over the basics of running a name server on a Unix network.
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