Boot Files
Although the boot file is not actually defined in the RFCs and is not needed for a server to be RFC compliant, it is described here for completeness. This file is part of the BIND-specific implementation of DNS.
It is not used by default in the Microsoft implementation of DNS. If advantageous, you can port an existing BIND boot file to a Microsoft DNS server. The Windows 2000 DNS server supports only a subset of the BIND boot file directives, and only for the file type used by BIND 4. x . x servers.
The BIND Boot file controls the startup behavior of the DNS server. Commands must start at the beginning of a line and no spaces can precede commands. Table 5.6 shows descriptions of some of the boot file commands supported by Windows 2000.
Table 5.6 Descriptions of Boot File Commands
Command |
Description |
|---|---|
Directory command |
Specifies a directory where other files referred to in the boot file can be found. |
Cache command |
Specifies a file used to help the DNS server contact name servers for the root domain. This command and the file it refers to must be present. |
Primary command |
Specifies a primary zone for which this name server is authoritative and a zone file that contains the resource records for that zone. Multiple primary command records can exist in the boot file. |
Secondary command |
Specifies a secondary zone for which this name server is authoritative and a list of IP addresses of master servers from which to attempt zone transfer. It also defines the name of the local file for saving this zone. Multiple secondary command records can exist in the boot file. |
Table 5.7 shows the syntax of some of the boot file commands supported by Windows 2000.
Table 5.7 Syntax of Boot File Commands Supported by Windows 2000
Syntax |
Example |
|---|---|
directory < directory > |
directory c:\winnts\system32\dns |
cache < file name > |
cache cache |
primary < domain > < file name > |
primary reskit.com reskit.com.dns |
secondary < domain > < hostlist > < local file name > |
secondary test.reskit.com 157.55.200.100 test.reskit.com.dns |
forwarders < hostlist > |
forwarders 172.16.64.4 172.16.64.8 |
slave (follows the forwarders parameter) |
forwarders 172.16.64.4 172.16.64.8 slave |
For more information about the BIND boot file, see the link to the Microsoft TechNet Web site on the Web Resources page at https://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources . On the TechNet Web site, search for the keywords "structure" and "domain name system" and "boot file."