Decimal serial numbers in Bind 9?

Simon Dodd simon.dodd at JOINKLLC.COM
Mon Jul 26 14:41:04 UTC 2004


I have a question, regarding decimal serial numbers.

Albitz/Liu (Ed.4), pp151-152, states that while one CAN place a period
in a serial number, BIND 4x interprets the serial number by treating the
number trailing a period as a multiplier for the number before the
period, then appends the original multiplier, leading to some weird
issues (e.g. to BIND 4, 1.1 > 1.10). What neither the Albitz/Liu book,
nor a quick web search, has made clear is whether BIND 9x reproduces
this behaviour.=20

The specification handed down to me is that we want to be using the
format date.customer number.revision number, e.g. 20040721.6651.02. If
BIND 9x behaves the same way as BIND 4 does in this regard (which is my
principal question), then (and here's my comprehension check question)
surely the proposed serial number convention couldn't possibly work,
because BIND will multiply the numbers way above and beyond the 32-bit
maximum (20040721.6651.02, for example, I'm thinking would become
11111000010001100000010111101101010110, which is 7 bits too long).

Regards,
Simon

Regards,
Simon Dodd,

------------------------
"In Critical and baffling situations, it is always best to return to
first principle and simple action" - Sir Winston Churchill


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