[buug] Re: DNS Server and Apache on same machine

[Jon McClintock]

On Wed, Oct 20, 2004 at 05:32:06PM -0700, Jarell Douville wrote:
> Bind was 8.3.7-REL but I'm updating to 9 now. I fixed
> the @ problem and ")" problem in the mpflea.net zone
> file and now it starts up fine with no error's in the
> log/messages file.
> 
> Shouldn't I be able to type ns1.mpflea.com in to the
> url box and get some good response? 

Did you tell simplihosting about ns1.mpflea.com? 

It sounds like you don't quite understand how this whole DNS thing
works. To be clear, here's the process:

- You enter "http://ns1.mpflea.com/" in your web browser, and hit enter.
- Your web browser attempts to resolve 'ns1.mpflea.com' into an IP
  address. It consults the first name server in it's configured list of
  nameservers (on a Linux host, this is typically /etc/resolv.conf, on a
  Windows host, it's buried in the Control Panel somewhere).
- Your web browser sends a request to the first name server, asking for
  the IP address that corresponds to ns1.mpflea.com.
- That name server either knows that mapping, or it doesn't. If it knows
  it, it returns it.
- If it doesn't, it queries one of the root servers, to figure out which
  server really does. In this case, it gets the response that
  ns1.simplihosting.com (and ns2) are the DNS servers for that domain.
- It goes to ns1.simplyhosting.com and asks, "Hey, do you know who this
  ns1.mpflea.com guy is?"
- ns1.simplyhosting.com, knowing that it is authoritative for
  mpflea.com, and not having a mapping for it, says "No, ns1.mpflea.com
  doesn't exist."
- Your local DNS server then relays this back to you.


You have four options to get ns1.mpflea.com to work when you enter it
in your web browser:

a) Setup the mapping at simplihosting.com
b) Configure your local computer to use ns1.mpflea.com directly, and
   set it up as a relay
c) Set ns1.mpflea.com as the primary server for the mpflea.com domain
d) Add a mapping for ns1.mpflea.com directly to your local table of
   mappings. In *nix, do this by editing /etc/hosts.

I could have just told you to RTFM, but my alternative was to actually
be productive, working, and that's just no fun.

-Jon