Cache only servers

[Bill Larson]

> I´m configuring some cache only servers in the lowest level of the DNS
> tree in my internal network. Can I specify in the cache (hint) file an
> upper domain, or it is useless and the DNS always goes to root server?

Let me take a shot at this.  Hopefully I will be corrected where
I am wrong.

The contents of the hint/cache file is only used at initial startup
to contact ONE of the root name servers to get a complete list of
all of the root servers.

If you were to enter an "upper" level name in your hints file, if
this server were the one contacted for a list of root servers, then
this server would be queried for a list of root name servers.  I
am guessing that BIND may recursively query for this list until it
obtains an authoritative answer.

This means that unless you are running a name server that is
authoritative for the "." zone (a "root" name server), any additional
hosts that you add to your hints file will not be used.

Bill Larson (wllarso at swcp.com)