The DNS software in Novell DNS/DHCP Services integrates DNS information into the eDirectory database. Previously, DNS used Btrieve* as its database for configuration information. Integrating DNS with eDirectory moves all the information currently held in Btrieve files into eDirectory.
Integrating DNS with eDirectory greatly simplifies network administration by enabling you to enter all configuration information into one distributed database. Furthermore, the DNS configuration information is replicated just like any other data in eDirectory.
Integrating DNS with eDirectory also enables an update interaction between DNS and DHCP through the Dynamic DNS (DDNS) feature. When a host is assigned an IP address by DHCP, the DNS information can be automatically updated to associate the hostname with the new address when the DDNS feature is active.
By integrating DNS into eDirectory, Novell has shifted the concept of a primary or secondary zone away from the server to the zone itself. Once you have configured the zone, the data is available to any of the Novell DNS servers you choose to make authoritative for the zone. The Novell DNS server takes advantage of the peer-to-peer nature of eDirectory by replicating the DNS data.
Novell DNS/DHCP Services interoperates with other DNS servers. The Novell DNS server can act as either a master DNS server or a secondary DNS server in relation to non-Novell DNS servers. The Novell DNS server can act as the master DNS server and transfer data to non-Novell secondary servers. Alternatively, one Novell DNS server can act as a secondary DNS server and transfer data from a non-Novell master server. All Novell DNS servers can then access the data through eDirectory replication.
Novell DNS/DHCP Services provides the following DNS features:
All DNS configuration is done in eDirectory, facilitating enterprise-wide management.
A Novell DNS server can be a secondary name server to another zone (DNS data loaded into eDirectory through a zone transfer), or it can be a primary name server (on which you configure DNS data using the DNS/DHCP Management Utility).
DNS data can be read in from a BIND Master file to populate eDirectory for convenient upgrades from BIND implementations of DNS.
DNS data can be exported from eDirectory into BIND Master file format.
Root server information is stored in eDirectory and shared by all eDirectory-based DNS servers.
Zone transfers are made to and from eDirectory through Novell servers and include interoperability with non-eDirectory-based DNS.
A Novell DNS server can be authoritative for multiple domains.
Novell DNS servers maintain a cache of data from eDirectory so they can quickly respond to queries.
A Novell DNS server can act as a caching or forwarding server instead of an authoritative server for zones.
Novell DNS/DHCP Services supports multihoming.
Novell DNS/DHCP Services software supports round-robin processing of responses to queries with multiple Address records (A records) for a domain name.
The DNS/DHCP management utility works with DNS and DHCP servers that are based on ISC BIND Version 4.9.6 and ISC DHCP Version 2. It supports the standards of the Internet Request For Comments (RFCs) in the following list:
RFC 819---Domain Naming Convention for Internet User Applications
