Microsoft KB Archive/169326

= Does InterNIC Think Your DNS Servers Are Working? =

Article ID: 169326

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q169326



SUMMARY
Although InterNIC has required a primary and secondary name server in the past, it did not always fully verify their functionality. InterNIC is now consistently verifying whether the servers you have specified are lame. Lame, as defined by InterNIC, is "the condition whereby a name-space is delegated to an entity but that entity will not answer to that name". If the nslookup utility returns an authoritative answer (when queried for a Status Of Authority [SOA] resource record) for your domain name, then your servers are not considered lame.

See the following on the InterNIC server for more information:

InterNIC Lame Delegation Policy:

ftp://rs.internic.net/policy/internic/internic-domain-5.txt

InterNIC Web site:

http://rs.internic.net



How to Test Your DNS Server
In this article, you will be using the NSLOOKUP command-line utility provided with Windows NT Server. Type NSLOOKUP at an MS-DOS command prompt, then press Enter. This will start NSLOOKUP in interactive mode (as opposed to line mode). You will now see that the prompt is a greater than (>) sign. Type a question mark "?" without the quotes, and then press enter. This will give you the commands available for use in NSLOOKUP. Also, to quit gracefully from the NSLOOKUP utility, type "exit" and press enter.

There are three commands you can use to test our name servers: SERVER, SET, and `NAME'. `NAME' is not actually a command, it is just the fully qualified domain name as specified in the WHOIS record. The WHOIS database is maintained by InterNIC and contains information for all domain names registered to it.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

169213 How to Verify Internet Domain Registration Info with InterNIC

A sample WHOIS record for the Test.net domain:

The whois client utility is not available with Windows NT. You can access this information through the World Wide Web at:

http://www.internic.net/

-or-

By telnet 198.41.0.5.

Below is a what you would see using telnet:

In Windows NT 4.0, click the Start button, click Run, and type TELNET 198.41.0.5

You will see the following on your screen. Comments are preceded by *****

Trying 198.41.0.5 port 23... Connected to 198.41.0.5.

*************************************************************************** Please be advised that use constitutes consent to monitoring (Elec Comm Priv Act, 18 USC 2701-2711)
 * -- InterNIC Registration Services Center --
 * For wais, type:                   WAIS
 * For the *original* whois type:    WHOIS [search string]
 * For referral whois type:          RWHOIS [search string]
 * For user assistance call (703) 742-4777
 * Questions/Updates on the whois database to HOSTMASTER@internic.net
 * Please report system problems to ACTION@internic.net
 * Questions/Updates on the whois database to HOSTMASTER@internic.net
 * Please report system problems to ACTION@internic.net

6/1/94 We are offering an experimental distributed whois service called referral whois (RWhois). To find out more, look for RWhois documents, a sample client and server under: gopher: (rs.internic.net) InterNIC Registration Services -> InterNIC Registration Archives -> pub -> rwhois anonymous ftp: (rs.internic.net) /pub/rwhois Cmdinter Ver 1.3 Thu May 29 14:42:50 1997 EST [ansi] InterNIC > [ansi] InterNIC > whois TEST.NET Connecting to the rs Database. . . . . . Connected to the rs Database Test Communications (TEST3-DOM) 734 Crater Street Charlotte, NC 28205 US

Domain Name: TEST.NET

Administrative Contact: Administrator (ADM214-ORG)  administrator@TEST.NET 704-342-4664 (FAX) 704-342-1144 Technical Contact, Zone Contact: Test, Russ (RO553)  russ@TEST.NET 704-342-4664 (FAX) 704-342-1144 Billing Contact: Test, Lisa (LL1079)  lisa@TEST.NET 704-342-4664 (FAX) 704-342-1144

Record last updated on 19-Dec-96. Record created on 19-Dec-96. Database last updated on 20-May-97 05:00:33 EDT.

Domain servers in listed order:

NS1.TEST.NET             123.123.123.253 HARRIS2.DIABLO1.COM 200.200.200.1

Type a handle, name, mailbox, or other field, optionally preceded by a keyword, like "host diis". Type "?" for short, 2-page details, "HELP" for full documentation, or hit RETURN to exit. ---> Do ^E to show search progress, ^G to abort a search or output <--- Whois:

Press ENTER to exit Whois.

[ansi] InterNIC >


 * Record the Domain servers listed in the WHOIS record and their ip
 * addresses.

[ansi] InterNIC > logout


 * This is what you would expect from a properly configured name server
 * and WHOIS record:


 * (Remember, these are examples, please replace all mentions of
 * ns1.test.net  with your primary DNS servers hostname and
 * harris2.diablo1.com    with your secondary DNS servers hostname.)

> >NSLOOKUP Default Server: ntw.test.net Address: 200.200.200.5

>SERVER ns1.test.net Default Server: ns1.test.net Address:  123.123.123.253

>SET TYPE=ANY >test.net Server: ns1.test.net Address: 123.123.123.253

Test.net nameserver = ns1.test.net Test.net nameserver = harris2.diablo1.com Test.net Primary name server = ns1.test.net Responsible mail addr = Administrator.test.net Serial = 5 Refresh = 3600 (1 hour) Retry   = 600 (10 mins) Expire  = 86400 (1 day) Default TTL = 3600 (1 hour) ns1.test.net internet address = 123.123.123.253 harris2.diablo1.com internet address = 200.200.200.1 >


 * The above is an example of an "authoritative answer." The name server,
 * NS1.TEST.NET, returned the SOA (Status of Authority) record for the
 * domain TEST.NET.


 * This is what to expect from a lame server. HARRIS2.DIABLO1.COM is
 * listed as TEST.NETs secondary name server and is required to be
 * authoritative for the TEST.NET domain:

> >NSLOOKUP Default Server: ntw.test.net Address: 200.200.200.5

>SERVER harris2.diablo1.com Default Server: harris2.diablo1.com Address:  200.200.200.1

>SET TYPE=ANY >test.net Server: harris2.diablo1.com Address: 200.200.200.1

Non-authoritative answer: test.net    nameserver = ns1.test.net test.net    nameserver = harris2.diablo1.com

Authoritative answers can be found from: test.net    nameserver = ns1.test.net test.net    nameserver = ns2.test.netn ns1.test.NET         internet address = 123.123.123.253 harris2.diablo1.com     internet address = 200.200.200.1


 * The above is returning a non-authoritative answer and is telling us
 * where to get an authoritative answer from. Note that it is telling us
 * that an authoritative answer can be obtained from ourselves!

>NSLOOKUP Default Server: wow.diablo1.com Address: 200.200.200.199

>SERVER harris2.diablo1.com Default Server: harris2.diablo1.com Address:  200.200.200.1

>SET TYPE=ANY >test.net Server: harris2.diablo1.com Address: 200.200.200.1

DNS request timed out. Timeout was 2 seconds. DNS request timed out. Timeout was 4 seconds. DNS request timed out. Timeout was 8 seconds.
 * Request to harris2.diablo1.com timed-out

(OR)


 * harris2.diablo1.com can't find test.net.: No response from server


 * The above is considered a lame server as well. This server isn't even
 * listening for DNS queries or doesn't even exist!

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

171789 PTR Record for DNS Server is not Automatically Created

Additional query words: soa start of authority ntdns Status of Authority Domain Name System

Keywords: kbinfo kbnetwork kbusage KB169326

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