Whats wrong - Record Authority

[Mark Damrose]

"Jason Bowsher" <jason.bowsher at mail.com> wrote in message
news:ardtvh$744i$1 at isrv4.isc.org...
> Appologies if this is off topic.
>
> I have a situation where the look ups to one of my domain names fails
> intermittantly.  The domain is hosted by an ISP but the domain name which
I
> am trying to resolve is a CNAME for another doamin name hosted by another
> ISP, who I assume are the untimate authority of resolution.
>
> The problem is that each is saying the other has a problem with their DNS
> servers.  Who is right?.

Looks to me like it's fixed now, but based on the dig output you supplied,
hosteurope.com had the problem.

>
> Here it is.
>
> I want to resolve helpdesk.mrag.net to marlin.env.ic.ac.uk using a CNAME
>
> The dig on the two authorative servers for mrag.net give the following
> results.  Is there a problem with ns2.hosteurope.com or is it that
> ns2.hosteurope.com can't get a proper authorative answer from the
> authorative servers for ic.ac.uk?.
>
> [root at marlin /root]# dig helpdesk.mrag.net @ns.hosteurope.com
>
> ; <<>> DiG 9.2.1 <<>> helpdesk.mrag.net @ns.hosteurope.com
> ;; global options:  printcmd
> ;; Got answer:
> ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 61084
> ;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 2, AUTHORITY: 4, ADDITIONAL: 4
>
> ;; QUESTION SECTION:
> ;helpdesk.mrag.net.             IN      A
>
> ;; ANSWER SECTION:
> helpdesk.mrag.net.      86400   IN      CNAME   marlin.env.ic.ac.uk.
> marlin.env.ic.ac.uk.    83766   IN      A       155.198.84.176
>
> ;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
> ic.ac.uk.               69383   IN      NS      chimaera.csx.cam.ac.uk.
> ic.ac.uk.               69383   IN      NS      ns0.ic.ac.uk.
> ic.ac.uk.               69383   IN      NS      ns1.ic.ac.uk.
> ic.ac.uk.               69383   IN      NS      ns2.ic.ac.uk.
>
> ;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
> chimaera.csx.cam.ac.uk. 29133   IN      A       131.111.8.42
> ns0.ic.ac.uk.           67606   IN      A       155.198.5.12
> ns1.ic.ac.uk.           69383   IN      A       155.198.20.20
> ns2.ic.ac.uk.           75375   IN      A       155.198.5.3
>
> ;; Query time: 127 msec
> ;; SERVER: 212.67.202.2#53(ns.hosteurope.com)
> ;; WHEN: Tue Nov 19 14:49:02 2002
> ;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 233
>
> [root at marlin /root]# dig helpdesk.mrag.net @ns2.hosteurope.com
>
> ; <<>> DiG 9.2.1 <<>> helpdesk.mrag.net @ns2.hosteurope.com
> ;; global options:  printcmd
> ;; Got answer:
> ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NXDOMAIN, id: 43438
> ;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0
>
> ;; QUESTION SECTION:
> ;helpdesk.mrag.net.             IN      A
>
> ;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
> mrag.net.               86400   IN      SOA     ns.hosteurope.com.
> hostmaster.mrag.net. 2002111518 28800 7200 604800 86400
>
> ;; Query time: 179 msec
> ;; SERVER: 212.67.203.246#53(ns2.hosteurope.com)
> ;; WHEN: Tue Nov 19 14:49:11 2002
> ;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 99

Authoritative "This name does not exist" from one of the listed name
servers.  That's your problem right there.

Question.  Does your DNS administrator use the YYYYMMDDVV serial number
convention?  Did they really make 19 changes on the 15th and then make 15
more yesterday?

$ dig mrag.net +ns
SOA ns.hosteurope.com. hostmaster.mrag.net. 2002111814 28800 7200 604800
86400 from server ns.hosteurope.com in 106 ms.
SOA ns.hosteurope.com. hostmaster.mrag.net. 2002111814 28800 7200 604800
86400 from server ns2.hosteurope.com in 619 ms.

Are you that active with this domain?  If not, this would concern me.