All command line options for DNS server are optional.
If the DNS server is loaded without any options, default values for all of the options, wherever applicable, are used.
To start a DNS server, enter the following command at the server console prompt:
rcnovell-named start
Command line options can be specified in two different scenarios:
Load: This is the first time the DNS server is loaded.
Suspend state: The server can be suspended using the management utilities. The server remains loaded, but it supports only a limited set of services. It does not support any updates and dynamic reconfiguration.
Table 13-1 Command Line Options
|
Command Line Options |
Syntax |
Default Value |
Load Support |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Usage Display |
? |
NA |
Yes |
|
Cluster Enabling |
-V mountpoint NOTE:The -V option must point to the NCP volume name. |
Yes |
|
|
Debug |
-d level |
Yes |
|
|
DNS Port |
-p portnumber |
53 |
Yes |
|
Dynamic Reconfiguration |
-r on|off |
On |
Yes |
|
Fault Tolerance |
-F on|off |
On |
Yes |
|
Replace Characters |
-R character |
NA |
Yes |
|
Number of Log versions |
-L |
1 |
Yes |
Command line options can be specified only at load time. These options control the behavior that can be set only once for a particular running session of the DNS server. If you specify an invalid value for such an option at load time, the server exits.
Syntax: novell-named - u user [?] [-V mountpoint] [-d level] [-p portnumber] [-r on|off] [-F on|off] [-R character][-L number_ of_log_versions]
Usage Syntax: –?
Cluster Enabling Syntax: –V mount_point
This option enables clustering, by providing a volume other than /opt/novell/named/bin/. The volume name specified as the argument should exist and be mounted on the Linux server.
Example: Load novell-named –v new_volume
If new volume exists and is mounted on the Linux server, the DNS server stores all files to this volume.
Debugging Level Syntax: –d level
This option sets the level of information to be logged. If -d is specified, all the debug messages of type information /notice/warning/error/critical are logged for all categories. Setting the log level to higher number captures all the logging details over the preceding levels.
All the messages are logged in the /var/opt/novell/log/named/named.run file.
DNS Port Syntax: –p port_number
The port specified in this option is used by the DNS server to listen for queries. The values for this option can be in the range 1-65535. The default port number is 53.
Dynamic Reconfiguration Syntax: –r on|off
If dynamic reconfiguration is enabled, the DNS server periodically checks the configuration data for the server and zones. As part of this activity, it automatically detects added, deleted, and modified zones. This option has no effect on periodically checking the directory for changes in the zone data. Even if the dynamic reconfiguration is set to off, periodic detection of zone data occurs. The default period for dynamic reconfiguration is 15 minutes.
Fault Tolerance Syntax: –F on|off
When this option is set to on, the DNS server can start using the backup files if eDirectory is inaccessible. If off is specified for a new load, the DNS server does not service the zones for which eDirectory is not available.
Replace Characters Syntax: –R characters
A set of characters that are not allowed in the hostnames. The current list is ~!@#$%^&*+=?’`:;,"<>\/()[]{}|. This option can be used to add characters to this list. If these characters are found in the hostnames, the DNS server replaces these characters with a dash (-) before storing them in eDirectory. This option is included for backward compatibility and only allows adding one more character to the existing list.