Re: [FreeDNS] Registration problem

[Johann Visagie <wjv@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

info@xxxxxxxx on 2001-02-08 (Thu) at 00:31:34 +0100:
> 
> Hello there,
> 
> On 7 Feb 2001, at 19:10, Jaco Engelbrecht wrote:
> 
> > 2) give me your two name servers that's authorative for you domain.
> 
> Can anyone explain in simple language when a server is authorative 
> for a certain domain or how you can make that server to become 
> authoritave for that domain. Thanks!

Good question.  A technically correct answer would take forever, so here's
the short-short version.  :-)

A domain usually has one primary (master) nameserver, and one or more
secondary (slave) nameservers.  All of these nameservers have to be
authoritative for the domain.

Authoritative nameservers for a domain (both primary and secondaries) are
indicated by NS records in a domain's zone file.  However, the mere fact a
nameserver is listed in a domain's NS records does not make it authoritative.
[*]

Nameservers have to be specifically configured to be authoritative for a
domain.  This can only be done by the person(s) operating those nameservers,
since it requires changes to a nameserver's configuration files.

The primary nameserver for a domain needs an entry in its configuration file
to tell it that it's the master for that domain, plus it needs the name of
the master copy of the domain's zone file which must be be physically present
on the filesystem of the machine running the nameserver.

A secondary nameserver for a domain needs an entry in its configuraion file
te tell it that it's a slave for that domain, plus it needs to know the IP
number of the master server for the domain.  It will fetch the zone file for
the domain from the master at predetermined intervals.

[*] If a nameserver is listed in a domain's NS records but has not been
configured to be authoritative for the domain, it is known as a "lame
delegation".  This is a common cause of registration failures.

Of course, things quickly get more complex, but that's the basics.

In short, to register a domain:

1) Choose your domain name and make sure it's free.

2) Approach two ore more people who run nameservers and ask them to configure
   their servers to be authoritative for your domain.  Possibly you may run
   one or more of these servers yourself.  Or possibly you're using a free
   service like GraniteCanyon to do it for you.  Whichever way you go, any
   changes to your domain (e.g. changes in A records - mappings from host
   names to IP numbers) have to be affected by whoever runs the primary
   nameserver and therefore has physical possession of the master zone file.

3) Only once these nameservers have been set up and you've tested them to be
   authoritative for your domain do you do the registration with the relevant
   registrar.  If your nameservers aren't configured yet, the registrar will
   just reject the registration.

-- V
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