Ultimate Guide to Setting Up and Configuring Linux Named DNS Server!（linuxnamed）

Introduction

Setting up a Linux Named DNS server is one of the most important steps for any Linux network administrator. It is a crucial part of the network infrastructure, allowing seamless name resolution between hosts. In this ultimate guide, I will provide a step-by-step guide on how to set up and configure your Linux Named DNS server.

Prerequisites

Before you begin the process of setting up your Linux Named DNS server, there are some prerequisites you will need to consider. Firstly, make sure you have the prerequisite software installed on the server. For a Linux Named DNS server, you will need the Bind software and its utilities. You may also need additional software depending on the Linux distribution you are using.

Configure The Zone File

Once you have all the prerequisite software installed, you can now begin the configuration process. One of the first steps is to create the zone file. The zone file is a text file that contains information about the domains that are to be served. It contains entries for each resource record (RR) associated with the domains. It also manages the specific IP address information, the mapping of the domain names, and other such information.

To create a new zone file, you need to create a text file with the .zone extension in your /var/named directory. You can then use your preferred text editor to add the necessary entries. For example, to add an A record for a domain, you will need to add the following entry in your zone file:

A 192.168.1.1 example.com

Once you have added all the entries for the zones you want to serve, you can then save the zone file.

Configure Named.conf File

Once you have the zone file set up, you need to configure the Named.conf file. This is a text file which contains the configuration data that tells the Bind software which zones to serve. The file contains the parameters that will be used to control the DNS server’s behavior.

To create a new Named.conf file, you first have to create a text file with the .conf extension in your /etc/named directory. You can then add the necessary configuration entries in the Named.conf file. For example, to configure a domain run, you need to add the following code your Named.conf file:

zone “example.com” {type master; file “example.zone”;}

Once you have all the necessary configuration entries in your Named.conf file, you can then save the file.

Start the DNS Server

Once you have completed all the prerequisites and configuration steps, you can then start the DNS server. To do this, you can use the command line utility start-named. This will start the DNS server and allow it to serve your domains.

Test The DNS Server

Once you have started the DNS server, it’s important to test that everything is working correctly. You can use tools such as nslookup and dig to send queries to the server and check the responses. This will help ensure that DNS queries are being answered correctly.

Conclusion

In this ultimate guide, I have provided a step-by-step guide on how to set up and configure your Linux Named DNS server. I have explained the prerequisites, how to configure the zone file, how to configure the Named.conf file, how to start the DNS server, and how to test the DNS server. With this information, you should now be well on your way to having a correctly configured DNS server.