How to update the Root Server information on NetWare 6.5

  • 7005809
  • 21-Apr-2010
  • 26-Apr-2012

Environment

Novell DNS

Situation

Novell DNS uses Root Server information provided by internic.net.
That information is stored in a file called: sys:\etc\dns\rootsrvr.dat
The information in the sys:\etc\dns\rootsrvr.dat file is used by the install to create the RootServerInfo zone in eDirectory.
You can see the RootServerInfo zone in the DNS management utilities.

When the named.nlm is loaded on the server it reads the RootServerInfo zone from eDirectory to populate the DNS cache with that Root Server Information.

If eDir is not available when the named.nlm is loaded it can still get the root server information from this file on the sys volume.

From time to time individual root servers may change.  When this happens you do not need to update your Root Server information.  This is one of the benefits of there being multiple Root Servers.  When one changes and is no longer available it has no effect on the the functionality of the other Root Servers.  DNS will still be able to find what it needs from the other Root Servers.

However if you want to make sure that your list of Root Servers matches what is currently available you can update the Root Server information.

Resolution

Find a list of the current Root Servers that you want to match up with.

The current Internic list of Root Servers can be found here:
http://www.internic.net/zones/named.root

Open the sys:\etc\dns\rootsrvr.dat file in a text editor and change the IP address of the Root Server who's IP address is different in the master list (Internic list) so that they now match.
Save the sys:\etc\dns\rootsrvr.dat file.

In iManager or the Java based DNSDHCP management console delete the RootServerInfo zone.
At the Netware server console of the DNS server type: dnipinst -f <enter>
Authenticate as admin
You will see the following message:
"Locator object could not be found at the specified context or could not get the contexts of all the DNS/DHCP base objects."  The message also gives a warning about problems caused by having multiple base objects. (Locator, Group, RootServerInfo zone.)
We deleted the RootServerInfo zone so this message is expected.
Answer yes to the, "Do you want to continue..." message
You will be presented with the contexts that were found, and the RootServerInfo Zone context will be: (Unconfigured)
Hitting enter on this field will allow you to edit it.
Put in the same context that the other objects have and hit enter.
The RootServerInfo zone will be created in eDir.

You can verify that the changes took place by launching iManager or the Java based DNSDHCP management utility and looking at the records in the RootServerInfo zone.

Additional Information

The RootServerInfo zone is unique in that it will be used by all DNS servers and has no Authoritative DNS server defined nor does it have a Designated Primary server defined.  This is how it is intended to be.

More information about root servers can be found here:
http://www.root-servers.org/
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_nameserver