I am missing something

[bdraw]

I am missing something.

I have NicTool setup on a server.
I can add nameservers and records with the web interface.

I have had bind setup on another box for a long time with over 100 zones and who knows how many records. How do I get the zones and the records into Nictool so I can start setting up users and permissions? How exactly does NicTool update the bind server? rsync?

Am I missing the part of the manual because I can't seem to find these answers? I have used the directions to get this far but now am lost.

I read the thread on tinydns, but as I said I am running bind. I realize there is no export script for bind, I don't undestand what that means. Is there another method to get this to work?

Thanks
Ben

[Nick Cockinos]

bdraw wrote on Thu, 16 December 2004 16:57

I am missing something. I have NicTool setup on a server. I can add nameservers and records with the web interface. I have had bind setup on another box for a long time with over 100 zones and who knows how many records. How do I get the zones and the records into Nictool so I can start setting up users and permissions? How exactly does NicTool update the bind server? rsync? Am I missing the part of the manual because I can't seem to find these answers? I have used the directions to get this far but now am lost. I read the thread on tinydns, but as I said I am running bind. I realize there is no export script for bind, I don't undestand what that means. Is there another method to get this to work? Thanks Ben

I don't think your missing anything Ben. I'm in much the same boat and it looks like the only way out is to build to new servers, pri and slave, then make sure they are both communicating and transferring etc and start the labourious task of manually creating zones and records within.

The difference beween djb and bind is that bind uses flat files for it's zone records and djb uses a database. The bind export script needs to write the bind zone file, then trasnfer it to the correct directory either by rsync or ssh (in a nutshell).

All I had to do was look for it in nictoolclient.conf!  

Most of my zones use the same default parrameters, IP, CNAME and MX. I'd like to know where we cna set defaults for these in NicTool.

Goodluck and don't dispair

Nick

[bdraw]

What if I was to build a new djb dns server, set it as a slave to my bind server, then export to Nictool?
Then could I get set Nictool to update my bind server after all the records were in Nictool?

If so how would I setup nictool after I got all the records in?

Ben

[LogicX]

bdraw wrote on Fri, 17 December 2004 09:20

What if I was to build a new djb dns server, set it as a slave to my bind server, then export to Nictool? Then could I get set Nictool to update my bind server after all the records were in Nictool? If so how would I setup nictool after I got all the records in? Ben

It sounds as though you may be confused as to nictool's role in DNS.

You use NicTool to enter all your zones and records into a database.  NicToolClient is a pretty example of an interface which can interface with the NicToolServer/NicToolAPI and write entries to the database.

The essential part is having all records in the database.  However you choose to get them there -- you have the power, using NicToolClient/Server, or your own custom solution which interfaces with the NicToolAPI.

Once all zones/records are in the database, you can then export the data out of the database to actually be used for name resolution.  Currently the only known coded script, which is included with NicToolServer's package -- exports for use by tinydns.

Without something to read the database, and 'export' the zones and records into a format readable by the DNS server, there is no actualy name resolution that can occur.

If you're not a large organization, you may not understand the justification for this seemingly complex system.

However with larger and larger systems, keeping DNS in sync, void of syntatical errors, and in a state that is manageable by multiple users, or system processes at once, through GUI or automated means -- a RDMBS (mysql) seems most appropriate.
By separating out NicToolClient from NicToolServer & NicToolAPI -- you're permitted the power to create your own interface, with any functions you can imagine, and integrate it as you please.  You are not limited by NicToolClient.

I urge you to proceed, and I hope you find the installation and configuration to be worth your time and energy.

At this point, it sounds as though you have the choice of entering all zones and records through NicToolClient, and then deciding to drop bind in favor of tinydns, or code an export script for bind.

[bdraw]

Ok that makes more sense. When you say export you mean export out of NicTool into bind, I was thinking the other way around.

So you are also saying that there is no way to import into Nictool from tinydns or bind? So if I did know how to code I would want to write a tool to import and to export? (I have over 100 zones)

It seems that the person who wrote the inport/export tool would have to know mysql as well as bash scripting to be able to parse the bind db files and extract the data? Or is this already handleld in the NicTool API? I don't know if I can tackle this, but there may be someone else here at my company if I can get a handle on the scope of the project.

Thanks
Ben