Cert continuation

[UltraZero]

Well, I am back on track with the cert. I  have a question.

When moving from Explorer to Enthusiast, and ongoing, I see a DNS server is needed.

What would you suggest be the best platform when it comes to creating one.

There is some form of DNS on the Cisco IOS.  Not sure how extensive it is.
There is also a DNS server under Microsoft Windows Server XXX.  Not sure I want to use.
There is also a DNS server in Redhat Linux Enterprise and Ubuntu Server.

Anyone know which would be the best.

Also keep in mind, I guess form Enthusiast to Admin, looks like I need a mail transfer agent, Professional I need Reverse DNS and Guru, I need to use AAAA records.  

I would image all would work under Linux, but, my experience with setting UP DNS and mail server was when Linux first came out.  Remember back when you had to compile the Operating system with the features you wanted and it took an hour to compile??  So, that being said.  

I want my Sage T-Shirt

What say you.   ;D ;D

Thanks

[cholzhauer]

You should use whatever you're more comfortable with.  I did the whole thing on freebsd, but aside from ios, any of the os's you listed would work fine

[croikle]

It's possible to make the last couple of tests quite simple if you use dns.he.net to host your DNS, though I'm sure it's not that bad to do it yourself.

[UltraZero]

Is its possible to have to router perform the whole thing??

[broquea]

enth = AAAA + HTTP
admin = MX + SMTP
prof = MX's IPv6 address having PTR
guru = AAAA + DNS software listening on IPv6

[UltraZero]

Downloading Ubuntu and just finished installing Redhat.

I don't think at this point it really matters.  I don't really know any of the above. I always gamed though to try anything.  (well... Something about eating live large hissing cockroaches is out of the question...)

LOL..

[UltraZero]

Is it  possible that a Cisco router can perform the tasks at hand??

thanks

[cholzhauer]

AFAIK IOS can't do email or DNS.

[UltraZero]

Bummer...

Oh well.  I guess Linux it is. 

Now... What flavor... Hmmmm.......  too many free bees to choose from.

I guess it's going to be Ubuntu or Redhat..


Thanks much..

Off to installations we go...

[lynxus]

yeah thats correct, the router cant do either service.

Id recommend redhat / fedora. But whatever your most comfortable with..

Id also suggest the following software:

Bind for DNS.
Qmail or Exim ( probably Exim ) for email.

If you understand the above software then your more than good for any job ( as the majority of people in linux will use this software )

[johnpoz]

As mentioned and linux distro could do your dns or email.. But if your more familiar with windows then sure you could use that as well.

Bind runs on windows just fine - so you could use that as dns.  Or if you have windows server then yeah you could use windows dns.  Not really a fan, Bind is a much better option IMHO.  But it works and could get you past the tests.

As to email server, a free one you could use on windows to just get past the test is http://www.hmailserver.com/

[Quill]

You could also use Apache James as a mail server for Windows. Very simple to set-up.

[UltraZero]

Thanks much for the info.

I haven't done DNS since the early 90s when Bind was in versions 4.x I think. I actually was able to recover some copies of my old configs.  (could not believe my floppy diskettes were readable from back then.

Anyway.  My problem now is this.

Can someone tell me how many files are generally used for a Simple DNS config for what we are doing with IPv6?? 

I, being Rip Van Winkle, have found things have changed. 
I was going to run an older verions of Redhat, but, the software seems to have security issues.  So, I blew the redhat box away and installed Ubuntu 11.04.  This version of Linux at least seems to be running a more current version of Bind and Sendmail.  Bind installed no problem and I think sendmail did as well.  (No GUI, Xwindows but, was able to install it)

Now that at least the machine is online and with IPv4 and IPv6 addresses on it, I need to start the configuration of Bind.

I am trying it figure if Bind 9x has basically 2 files or 3. 

I think there is still a named files and at least 1 .db file. 

Please let me know or if anyone has some examples, I would appreciate it.

I don't want a direct answer as I don't mind having to figure it out, but, I would not mind some guidance in the right direction.

Thanks much..

[pcreager]

At the very minimum, BIND needs just two files: named.conf and a zone file for your domain.  

When I installed BIND 9.7.1-P2 on Ubuntu, the build gave me 4 conf files (main file + 3 include files) plus 4 or 5 sample db files (zone files).  You don't have to use any of the extras if you don't want to.

[mikesampson]

I have used bind and powerdns in the past however I recently setup dns for my local lan and went with unbound. A single <30 line config handled everything including ipv4/6 lan clients and forwarding google requests to he's white listed name servers.