====== Ubuntu - Bind - Configure Bind9 ======

[[Ubuntu:Bind:Configure Bind9:My Configuration|My Configuration]]

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===== Configuration Options =====

BIND9 can be configured in many different ways, mostly:

  * **[[Ubuntu:Bind:Configure Bind9:Caching Nameserver|Caching Nameserver]]:**  BIND9 will find the answer to name queries and remember the answer when the domain is queried again.
  * **[[Ubuntu:Bind:Configure Bind9:Primary Nameserver|Primary Nameserver]]:**  BIND9 reads the data for a zone from a file on its host and is authoritative for that zone.
  * **[[Ubuntu:Bind:Configure Bind9:Secondary Nameserver|Secondary Nameserver]]:**  BIND9 gets the zone data from another nameserver that is authoritative for the zone.

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===== Configuration Files =====

The DNS configuration files are stored in **/etc/bind**.

The primary configuration file is **/etc/bind/named.conf**, which in the layout provided by the package just includes these files.

  * **/etc/bind/named.conf.options:**  Global DNS options.
  * **/etc/bind/named.conf.local:**  For your zones.
  * **/etc/bind/named.conf.default-zones:**  Default zones such as localhost, its reverse, and the root hints.

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  The root nameservers used to be described in the file **/etc/bind/db.root**.

This is now provided instead by the **/usr/share/dns/root.hints** file shipped with the dns-root-data package, and is referenced in the **named.conf.default-zones** configuration file mentioned above.

</WRAP>

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  BIND9 can be configured to be a caching name server, primary, and secondary at the same time: it all depends on the zones it is serving.

A server can be the **Start of Authority (SOA)** for one zone, while providing secondary service for another zone.

All the while providing caching services for hosts on the local LAN.
</WRAP>