This is an old revision of the document!

Ubuntu - Bind - Configure Bind9 - Primary Nameserver

Forward Zone File

A DNS Zone resolves names to IP Addresses.

To add a DNS zone to BIND9, turning BIND9 into a Primary server, first edit /etc/bind/named.conf.local:

/etc/bind/named.conf.local

zone "example.com" {
    type master;
    file "/etc/bind/db.example.com";
};

NOTE: If bind will be receiving automatic updates to the file as with DDNS, then use /var/lib/bind/db.example.com rather than /etc/bind/db.example.com both here and in the copy command below.

Now use an existing zone file as a template to create the /etc/bind/db.example.com file:

sudo cp /etc/bind/db.local /etc/bind/db.example.com

Edit the new zone file /etc/bind/db.example.com and change localhost. to the FQDN of your server, leaving the additional . at the end.

Change 127.0.0.1 to the nameserver’s IP Address and root.localhost to a valid email address, but with a . instead of the usual @ symbol, again leaving the . at the end. Change the comment to indicate the domain that this file is for.

Create an A record for the base domain, example.com. Also, create an A record for ns.example.com, the name server in this example:

/etc/bind/db.example.com

;
; BIND data file for example.com
;
$TTL    604800
@       IN      SOA     example.com. root.example.com. (
                     2014100501         ; Serial
                         604800         ; Refresh
                          86400         ; Retry
                        2419200         ; Expire
                         604800 )       ; Negative Cache TTL
 
@       IN      NS      ns.example.com.
@       IN      A       192.168.1.10
@       IN      AAAA    ::1
ns      IN      A       192.168.1.10

IMPORTANT: The Serial Number must be incremented every time changes are made to a zone file.

This Serial number can simply be any number, such as 1 or 2 or 3 etc.

The approach taken here is to use the last date this zone file was edited, in the format yyyymmddss (where ss is the change number for that day; 01 for 1st change, 02 for 2nd change, etc).

NOTE: Add any DNS records to the bottom of the zone file.

See Common Record Types for details.

Restart Bind for any changes to take effect:

sudo systemctl restart bind9.service

Reverse Zone File

A Reverse Zone needs to be added to allows DNS to resolve an address to a name.

Edit /etc/bind/named.conf.local and add the following:

/etc/bind/named.conf.local

zone "1.168.192.in-addr.arpa" {
    type master;
    file "/etc/bind/db.192";
};
</code>
 
<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  Replace 1.168.192 with the first three octets of whatever network you are using.
 
Also, name the zone file /etc/bind/db.192 appropriately.  It should match the first octet of your network.
 
</WRAP>
 
Create the **/etc/bind/db.192** file:
 
<code bash>
sudo cp /etc/bind/db.127 /etc/bind/db.192
</code>
 
Edit **/etc/bind/db.192** changing the same options as **/etc/bind/db.example.com**:
 
<file bash /etc/bind/db.192>
;
; BIND reverse data file for local 192.168.1.XXX net
;
$TTL    604800
@       IN      SOA     ns.example.com. root.example.com. (
                     2014100501         ; Serial                              
                         604800         ; Refresh
                          86400         ; Retry
                        2419200         ; Expire
                         604800 )       ; Negative Cache TTL
;
@       IN      NS      ns.
10      IN      PTR     ns.example.com.

IMPORTANT: The Serial Number in the Reverse zone needs to be incremented on each change as well.

For each A record you configure in /etc/bind/db.example.com, that is for a different address, you need to create a PTR record in /etc/bind/db.192.

Restart Bind9

sudo systemctl restart bind9.service

Wiki

Table of Contents

Ubuntu - Bind - Configure Bind9 - Primary Nameserver

Forward Zone File

Reverse Zone File

Restart Bind9