Creating a Zone File

The zone file is where the mappings for hostnames to IP addresses within a domain or zone are defined; it’s also where the most mistakes are commonly made in a BIND configuration, so we will cover it in detail.

The format of a zone file (often referred to as a master zone file or simply master file) is quite complex and regimented, although there are certain things you can get away with. A “living” zone file in an existing BIND setup can be all but incomprehensible. It helps to understand what kinds of primitives (directives) are allowed and how each one is specified, as well as the shortcuts that are allowed and commonly used.

First, consider the sample zone file, and its components, shown in Listing 32.2. Note that semicolons ...

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