DNS and BIND is about one of the Internet's fundamental building blocks: the distributed host information database that's responsible for translating names into addresses, routing mail to its proper destination, and many other services. As the authors say in the preface, if you're using the Internet, you're already using DNS--even if you don't know it. This edition brings you up to date on the new 9.1.0 and 8.2.3 versions of BIND along with the older 4.9 version. There's also more extensive coverage of NOTIFY, IPv6 forward and reverse mapping, transaction signatures, and the new DNS Security Extensions; and a new section on accommodating Windows 2000 clients, servers and Domain Controllers. Whether you're an administrator involved daily with DNS or a user who wants to be more informed about the Internet and how it works, you'll find this book essential reading. Topics include:

• What DNS does, how it works, and when you need to use it
• How to find your own place in the Internet's name space
• Setting up name servers
• Using MX records to route mail
• Configuring hosts to use DNS name servers
• Subdividing domains (parenting)
• Securing your name server: restricting who can query your server, preventing unauthorized zone transfers, avoiding bogus name servers, etc.
• Mapping one name to several servers for load sharing
• Troubleshooting: using nslookup, reading debugging output, common problems
• DNS programming, using the resolver library and Perl's Net::DNS module

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DNS and BIND, 4th Edition Review,  August 30 2002
Submitted by Paul Dyer   [Respond | View]

Better even than the 3rd edition.

I used the 3rd edition as reference to fix a resolver problem in HP-UX. This involved bad nameserver maintenance from the parent. Having read half of the 3rd edition, and now nearly all of the 4th, I must say Cricket and Paul have truly improved on a great effort. This book gives everything you will need to manage DNS/BIND for version 4, 8 and 9. Anything more must be obtained from RFCs, of which there are numerous references. Thanks for the enjoyable reading.


DNS and BIND, 4th Edition Review,  December 06 2001
Submitted by Charles Shepard - Consultant / California e-Business Solutions   [Respond | View]

Very difficult to read. I have experience in several high and low level languages, but this book was hard to follow. Microsoft recommends this book in their NT 4 server-TCP/ip accelerated course. The course in no way prepares you for this book. Unless you are a Unix pro, this book will give you a headache. I suggest looking else where for DNS info.


DNS and BIND, 4th Edition Review,  October 19 2001
Submitted by Terence Brown   [Respond | View]

Not for the feint hearted. A book for the hardcore IT professional. Especially useful for designing and implementing diverse ISP and Internetwork oriented solutions. I specialise in Disaster Recovery solutions and projects requiring a high degree of security (Government and Banking solutions). I have found this book invaluable for utilising the flexible nature of 'Name Resolution' to extract and tweak the most out of the indeterminate nature of the Internet.


DNS and BIND, 4th Edition Review,  September 15 2001
Submitted by James Buchanan   [Respond | View]

I found this book, along with all the others on DNS and the Linux Documentation Project's docs, all disappointing.

In this book, the authors leave you guessing in a number of areas. This is a book for experts, so if you don't have any experience with DNS and Bind, forget it. Hire a consultant or go to university and start at the beginning.

In chapter 3, "Where Do I Start?" it gives some fairly shallow information on setting up zone files. Like I said, this is obviously a book for experts. It leaves you to guess in anumber of areas.

I couldn't even finish writing the zone files properly as covered in chapter 3. And when I did, following the instructions to the letter (of which there weren't many - I had to guess) I got errors all over the place.

All I was looking for was the basics. How to setup nameservers so I could have ns0.myname.com and ns1.myname.com and tell my hosting customers who host their domains on my machines to alter the DNS records of their domain to point to my nameservers, and how to setup www.myname.com as an alias for the domain or whatever. And how to add other domains, so I can host websites for others on my dedicated server.

I am sorely disappointed I spent money I couldn't afford to spend anyway, but had to. There's just nowhere else to turn.

I am wishing hard for "DNS and BIND for Dummies" written in clear, plain English, and which doesn't leave you guessing.

The information in this book is scant and for DNS/Bind experts only.

James Buchanan

Owner/Operator of a very small web hosting company


DNS and BIND, 4th Edition Review,  May 01 2001
Submitted by Chris Shenton   [Respond | View]

I've had my trusty 1st edition for quite a while but am disappointed that the new edition doesn't even mention "djbdns", at least I didn't find it in the index.

I'm not here to bash BIND -- I've deployed it at a number of .gov, .com, and ISP sites -- but the book is called _DNS & BIND_ and IMHO should at least mention other implementations of domain name servers.

I have found that as I start using the djbdns suite of tools, there is a different philosophy and approach at work and this frequently leads to insights on DNS rather than the _de facto_ BIND view. Equating the global DNS with a single implementation leads to monoculture; alternate implementations of Internet standards are important. They should be at least mentioned in an edition as recent as this.

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