DNS on Windows Server 2003, 3rd Edition

The Root Hints Data

Besides your local information, the name server also needs to know where the name servers for the root zone are. (Remember that the resolution process starts at the root zone, so knowing which name servers are authoritative for the root zone is critical.) This information is stored in a file called the root name server hints file, which is named %SystemRoot%\System32\DNS\cache.dns on your name server. The Microsoft DNS Server ships with a version of this file that looks like this (or at least it did when this book was published):

; ; cache.dns -- DNS CACHE FILE ; ; Initial cache data for root domain servers. ; ; YOU SHOULD CHANGE: ; -> Nothing if connected to the Internet. Edit this file only when ; updated root name server list is released. ; OR ; -> If NOT connected to the Internet, remove these records and replace ; with NS and A records for the DNS server authoritative for the ; root domain at your site. ; ; Note, if you are a root domain server, for your own private intranet, ; no cache is required, and you may edit your boot file to remove ; it. ; ; This file holds the information on root name servers needed to ; initialize cache of Internet domain name servers ; (e.g. reference this file in the "cache . <file>" ; configuration file of BIND domain name servers). ; ; This file is made available by InterNIC ; under anonymous FTP as ; file /domain/named.root ; on server FTP.INTERNIC.NET ; ; last update: Nov 5, 2002 ; related version of root zone: ...