DNS server with MySQL Backend

[Michael Halligan]

MySQL is probably the wrong way to go, but a db backend does not cripple your lookup performance if you set it up properly,
and Bind certainly is not the only DNS server out there. PowerDNS is very fast, and secure, as well as TinyDNS from DJB.. Both
of them are secure, without a 20 year long history of root compromises, like BIND has. Bind has gotten more secure, but for
somebody who over the past 13 years has seen something like 25 root compromisable security problems with BIND, it makes
me nervous.

Now for performance, I run an outsourced authoritative DNS service, which currently handles lookups for 20k zones. I accomplish
this over two datacenters, with 4 dns servers running bind-dlz (db4 backend), and 4 cisco 2801 routers, using bgp anycast for
redundancy and load distribution. Each server can handle 2900 queries per second continuously. 


> True, but I believe that small domains like .com and .net are hosted
> using flat files.  There are a few entries there...

You are talking about 2 zones, although very large ones, I was talking about 10k+ zones.
In fact if you are dealing with zones of that size a DB backend will probably cripple your lookup performance with the available 
tie-ins for bind.


> 
> > This is a lot easier to do with a DB backend.  Of course 
> you could store
> > it all in a db and then write some scripts to dump the flat 
> files and
> > cycle the server.  Doubt that would be very practical though.
> 
> You wouldn't cycle the server - you'd use dynamic updates.

Dynamic DNS updates only work on existing zones, as far as i know there is no way to create new zones with
nsupdate.  If all you are going to do is modify a few existing zones, by all means, flat files and nsupdate are what you want.

I have worked on nameservers with close to or over 100k domains on it and i can tell you its not pretty. 
Computing power then was nowhere near where it is today reloading the servers to pick up new zones took forever.

The only scenario I would really recommend using a DB backend for is if your business requires you to add and delete zones very very frequently (webhosting for example).  If adding and deleting zones is uncommon to your business, nsupdate is what you want to use.  




> 
> -- 
> Ed Wilts, RHCE
> Mounds View, MN, USA
> mailto:ewilts at ewilts.org
> Member #1, Red Hat Community Ambassador Program
> 
> -- 
> redhat-list mailing list
> unsubscribe mailto:redhat-list-request at redhat.com?subject=unsubscribe
> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list
> 

-- 
redhat-list mailing list
unsubscribe mailto:redhat-list-request at redhat.com?subject=unsubscribe
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list