A DNS (Domain Name System) server is a computer that stores a database of domain names and their corresponding IP addresses. When a DNS client, such as a web browser, sends a query to a DNS server, the server looks up the IP address for the requested domain name in its database and sends it back to the client. This allows users to access websites and other resources on the Internet using easily remembered domain names rather than having to remember IP addresses.
In this documentation, we will cover the process of setting up a DNS server on a Windows or Linux operating system, using the popular DNS server software BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain).
Before you begin, please note that setting up a DNS server requires a certain level of technical knowledge and experience. It’s also important to have a good understanding of DNS and how it works.
Step 1: Install BIND
The first step in setting up a DNS server is to install the DNS server software. In this case, we will be using BIND.
On Windows:
- Download the BIND installer from the official BIND website.
- Run the installer and follow the prompts to install BIND.
On Linux:
- The process of installing BIND will vary depending on your Linux distribution. For example, on Ubuntu, you can install BIND by running the command:
sudo apt-get install bind9
Step 2: Configure BIND
Once BIND is installed, the next step is to configure it. BIND uses a configuration file called named.conf to store its settings. This file is usually located in the /etc/bind/ directory on Linux and in the C:\Program Files (x86)\ISC BIND 9\etc\ directory on Windows.
The named.conf file contains several sections, each with its own set of options. The most important sections are:
- options: This section contains global options that apply to all zones.
- zone: This section defines the zones that the DNS server is responsible for.
Here is an example of a basic named.conf file:
options {
directory "/var/cache/bind";
recursion yes;
allow-query { any; };
};
zone "example.com" {
type master;
file "/etc/bind/db.example.com";
};
The options section contains the following options:
- directory: The directory where BIND will store its cache and other files.
- recursion: Enables or disables recursion. Recursion is the process of a DNS server looking up the IP address for a domain name on other DNS servers if it does not have the information in its own database.
- allow-query: Specifies which clients are allowed to send queries to the DNS server. In this case, any client is allowed to send queries.
The zone section defines a zone named “example.com” as a master zone type, and the file where the zone’s DNS records are stored is located at “/etc/bind/db.example.com”
Step 3: Create a Zone File
A zone file is a text file that contains all the DNS records for a domain. The zone file is where you will enter the IP address for your domain name, as well as any other DNS records you want to include.
Here is an example of a basic zone file for the domain example.com:
$TTL 86400
@ IN SOA ns1.example.com. admin
