====== Check DNS settings ======

You can use a tool called named- checkconf to check BIND dns server

    named-checkconf /etc/named.conf 
    named-checkzone (needs parameters)

    curl http://w3.org/ --trace-ascii /dev/stdout

From: https://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/howto-linux-unix-check-dns-file-errors.html

Or 


look at /etc/resolve.conf

====== Benchmark dns ======

http://code.google.com/p/namebench/

====== DNS servers ======

=== Unbound ===

From: https://unbound.net/

<code>
Unbound is a validating, recursive, and caching DNS resolver.
On pfSense 2.2, Unbound has been integrated into the base system. Unbound is also the default 
DNS Resolver for new installations. 
</code>


From: https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Unbound_DNS_Resolver

<code>
Unbound is a validating, recursive, and caching DNS resolver.

The C implementation of Unbound is developed and maintained by NLnet Labs. It is based on ideas 
and algorithms taken from a java prototype developed by Verisign labs, Nominet, Kirei and ep.net.

Unbound is designed as a set of modular components, so that also DNSSEC (secure DNS) validation and
stub-resolvers (that do not run as a server, but are linked into an application) are easily possible.

The source code is under a BSD License. 
</code>

=== PowerDNS ===

From: https://www.powerdns.com/downloads.html

<code>
Both the PowerDNS Authoritative and the PowerDNS Recursive Servers are available in source form, 
as well as installable Linux Packages. PowerDNS is shipped with many Linux and UNIX distributions, 
including Debian, FreeBSD, Gentoo, NetBSD, SUSE and Ubuntu.
Users of these distributions may find they already have a copy of PowerDNS available, often in 
the package called pdns, powerdns-server, pdns-recursor or pdns-server. 
</code>
   
=== Bind ===

From: http://lani78.com/2012/07/22/setting-up-a-dns-for-the-local-network-on-the-ubuntu-12-04-precise-pangolin-server/

    4.2: Add a zone for the local domain:
    zone "home.lan" IN {
        type master;
        file "/etc/bind/zones/home.lan.db";
    };
    4.3: Also add a zone for reverse dns lookups for the local network:
    zone "0.168.192.in-addr.arpa" {
    type master;
    file "/etc/bind/zones/rev.0.168.192.in-addr.arpa";
    };

Also: for OpenSuse 11.1

   the default file location zone files is "/var/lib/named"

=== Dual DHCP DNS Server ===

From: http://dhcp-dns-server.sourceforge.net/

    DHCP Server allots the IP addresses to computers, while DNS server resolves them.
    You need DHCP Server if you do not want to manually maintain IP Addresses or you have less IP 
    Addresses than number of machines you have, as dynamic DHCP Server will recycle IP Addresses on 
    machines.
    DNS Server is needed for resolving hostnames to their IP addresses. Normally your ISP will provide you 
    with DNS Service. You may have your own DNS Server, which will resolve hostnames by forwarding them to 
    ISP's DNS Server and cache the addresses also.
    If you have home/small office network with Unix/Linux machines, these machines will not be resolved from 
    each other, as Unix/Linux machines do not support NBNS protocol and you need your own DNS Server. But how
     about resolving your local machines ?. Your ISP's DNS Server will not have this list and your own DNS 
     Server wont have them either. Most DNS Servers cannot do this.(unless you configure dynamic updates, or 
     use static IP addresses and manually enter them).

====== DNS at the local area network level ======

From: http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/247882-dns-at-the-local-area-network-level

    I start setting the first AD/DC — the angular stone for our network. After setting up the operating systemincluding updates and SPs, it was decided the machine will be hosting the domain luckyeyes.local. 
    To start, I open the network card properties/TCP IP properties, and use a static IP of 172.16.10.200 
    with network mask 255.255.255.0, the IP of the default gateway (172.16.10.254).
====== linux named ======

From: http://pgl.yoyo.org/as/bind-zone-file-creator.php

    Using the form below, you can create a zone file for use with the BIND DNS server.

====== Linux bind Log Format ======

From: http://www.zytrax.com/books/dns/ch7/logging.html

     More complete description

From: http://download.logreport.org/pub/current/doc/user-manual/ch07.html

    logging {
     channel query_logging {
          file "/var/log/named_querylog"
          versions 3 size 100M;
          print-time yes;                 // timestamp log entries
       };

       category queries {
           query_logging;
       };
    };
 


====== HOWTO dump/export the cache of a BIND DNS server ======

From: http://serverfault.com/questions/2813/list-of-domains-on-dns-server

    **rndc dumpdb -zones**
    
    This will create a dump of the server's authoritative data called cache_dump.db, probably in /var/named/data (or similar).

From: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=903651

    Last night I spent about an hour looking around google for how to dump and view the cache of a bind dns server. 
    I just wanted to post this thread on how to do it so maybe next time people search they will able to find it easier
    Bind 9 makes it fairly easy to dump and view the cache of a caching BIND DNS server. All you have to do is run under root:
    
    **rndc dumpdb -cache**

    This will create a file called named_dump.db in the /var/cache/bind/ directory. You can easily open this .db with your 
    favorite text editor.

    If your instance of BIND is chrooted, for example to /var/lib/named/, then the cache dump file will be 
    located in the /var/lib/named/var/cache/bind/ directory.

    The dumpdb feature of rndc has other options including a -all or -zone flag. Check 'rndc --help' 
    for more information. For more information you can check out this HOWTO i drafted.