Setting up new DNS server, web URL resolution works but not host name resolution

I BELIEVE that I have all the correct entries for forward and reverse entries.  I used a tool "mkrdns" to make the reverse DNS files from the forward DNS files that I created manually

This is DNS for a small office that is used for testing, we run the Solaris Ready test lab for Sun Microsystems.  We have direct internet access through an ISP and have a /28 address space for public addresses that we NAT through our firewall (Checkpoint FW-1 NGX R65).

This DNS server and a slave will be the authoritative servers for three domains.

Here is some output from running nslookup commands

ITIfw1:/> nslookup vrcontracting.com
Server:         72.19.183.2
Address:        72.19.183.2#53

Name:   vrcontracting.com
Address: 72.19.183.4

ITIfw1:/> nslookup charon
Server:         72.19.183.2
Address:        72.19.183.2#53

Non-authoritative answer:
*** Can't find charon: No answer

ITIfw1:/> nslookup gw7
Server:         72.19.183.2
Address:        72.19.183.2#53

Non-authoritative answer:
*** Can't find gw7: No answer

ITIfw1:/>  nslookup itinfrastructures.net
nslookup: too many lookups
ITIfw1:/>


I have checked that I do not have any recursive CNAME entries in the forward file but at this point I'm not certain what to be looking at.

You will need to specify which local domain the host belongs to or the search order in your clients resolv.conf, or specify the fqdn of the host.

example resolv.conf:

domain mydomain.com
nameserver 1.2.3.4

For more detailed info consult the resolv.conf man page. Also, I would probably start using dig instead of nslookup to help you debug/query your dns servers as its a lot more powerful and verbose.

hth.

Well, that was a major oversight on my part in the resolv.conf.  The current file looks like.

domain itinfrastructures.net
nameserver 72.19.183.2
nameserver 72.19.128.53
nameserver 72.19.128.99
nameserver 198.77.116.8
nameserver 207.69.188.185
nameserver 207.69.188.186
nameserver 207.69.188.187


I am still not getting resolution.  Here is some output

ITIfw1:/> nslookup itinfrastructures.net    
Server:         72.19.183.2
Address:        72.19.183.2#53

** server can't find itinfrastructures.net.itinfrastructures.net: SERVFAIL

ITIfw1:/> nslookup www.itinfrastructures.net
Server:         72.19.183.2
Address:        72.19.183.2#53

** server can't find www.itinfrastructures.net.itinfrastructures.net: SERVFAIL

ITIfw1:/> nslookup charon.itinfrastructures.net
Server:         72.19.183.2
Address:        72.19.183.2#53

** server can't find charon.itinfrastructures.net.itinfrastructures.net: SERVFAIL

ITIfw1:/> nslookup gw7.itinfrastructures.net  
Server:         72.19.183.2
Address:        72.19.183.2#53

** server can't find gw7.itinfrastructures.net.itinfrastructures.net: SERVFAIL

ITIfw1:/>

Can you post relevant excerpts from your master zone file? Also, what does "dig itinfrastructures.net" give you?

Here is the output from the dig command

ITIfw1:/> dig itinfrastructures.net    

; <<>> DiG 9.3.4-P1 <<>> itinfrastructures.net
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: SERVFAIL, id: 1170
;; flags: qr rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;itinfrastructures.net.         IN      A

;; Query time: 3 msec
;; SERVER: 72.19.183.2#53(72.19.183.2)
;; WHEN: Mon Sep  8 07:05:06 2008
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 39

ITIfw1:/>

I will attach the forward file "master.itinfrastructures.net" as well as the reverse file for 192.168.7.0/28

They are both text files but I had to add ".txt" to them to allow the upload.

Oh yeah, I wouldn't post such detailed info on the web without sanitising it first as nefarious types could use it to their advantage, and to your expense.

I was in a rush this AM and did not sanitize the files I uploaded.  My oversight.

I did an RTFM on the mkrdns tool and discovered that it does not put the SOA data in place.  I have updated the reverse maps and added the "ORIGIN ." and the "$ORIGIN itifrastructures.net." directives.

After restarting the server and client processes I now get this output

ITIfw1:/var/dns> nslookup www.itinfrastructures.net  
Server:         72.19.183.2
Address:        72.19.183.2#53

** server can't find www.itinfrastructures.net.itinfrastructures.net: SERVFAIL

ITIfw1:/var/dns> nslookup itinfrastructures.net    
Server:         72.19.183.2
Address:        72.19.183.2#53

** server can't find itinfrastructures.net.itinfrastructures.net: SERVFAIL

ITIfw1:/var/dns> nslookup charon              
Server:         72.19.183.2
Address:        72.19.183.2#53

** server can't find charon: NXDOMAIN

ITIfw1:/var/dns> nslookup charon.itinfrastructures.net
Server:         72.19.183.2
Address:        72.19.183.2#53

** server can't find charon.itinfrastructures.net.itinfrastructures.net: SERVFAIL

ITIfw1:/var/dns>

I have been able to get everything working correctly and have learned many new things along the way.  Some of the most valuable leassons from this project are.

 - dig   I have been working with Unix especially Solaris for about 20 years and still learn these new commands all the time.  This appears to be extremely useful in tracking down DNS resolution issues

- Restarting the DNS server processes IS NOT the same as reloading the tables.

 - This one I keep having to learn: Always take the time to RTFM when using new utilities and tools (such as mkrdns)

Rowley,

Thank you even so much for guiding me to this solution.  Your assistance is much appreciated.

Thank you for your patience and assistance.  Even after 25 years in IT I keep learning new things all the time.