Minimal distribution of BIND binaries

[Glen Turner]

James Hall-Kenney wrote:

> We are about to distribute the BIND binaries to some 300+ servers some of
> which are accross slow links.  These servers will be running as cache
> servers only.

> ./bin/dig
> ./sbin/named
>        ndc
         named-xfer

And you probably want the init script to start it.

If you are running them as caching servers, then setting
"forward first" and setting the forwarder to a fast nameserver
which has a transfer of your corporate zone is a good idea.
This gives a good probability that DNS query will be
resolved without generating any more traffic.

I'd also install an alternative config file that logs back
to a central server and hack the init script accept a config
file name as a parameter.

You might want to look at the rsync program for the distribution.
You don't save any bandwidth on the first transfer, but subsequent
transfers only send the changes.  Works on binary files, but
not too well on compressed files.  I use it to maintain my glibc and
Linux kernel source trees (over 200MB) over a 2400bps link.  Works
with, but does not require, ssh.

  http://rsync.samba.org/

-- 
 Glen Turner                               Network Specialist
 Tel: (08) 8303 3936          Information Technology Services
 Fax: (08) 8303 4400         The University of Adelaide  5005
 Email: glen.turner at adelaide.edu.au           South Australia