1.. Copyright (C) Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. ("ISC")
2..
3.. SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
4..
5.. This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
6.. License, v. 2.0.  If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
7.. file, you can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
8..
9.. See the COPYRIGHT file distributed with this work for additional
10.. information regarding copyright ownership.
11
12.. _introduction:
13
14Introduction to DNS and BIND 9
15==============================
16
17The Internet Domain Name System (DNS) consists of:
18
19- the syntax to specify the names of entities in the Internet in a hierarchical manner,
20- the rules used for delegating authority over names, and
21- the system implementation that actually maps names to Internet addresses.
22
23DNS data is maintained in a group of distributed hierarchical databases.
24
25.. _doc_scope:
26
27Scope of Document
28-----------------
29
30The Berkeley Internet Name Domain (BIND) software implements a domain name server
31for a number of operating systems. This document provides basic
32information about the installation and maintenance of Internet Systems
33Consortium (ISC) BIND version 9 software package for system
34administrators.
35
36This manual covers BIND version |release|.
37
38.. _organization:
39
40Organization of This Document
41-----------------------------
42
43:ref:`introduction` introduces the basic DNS and BIND concepts. Some tutorial material on
44:ref:`dns_overview` is presented for those unfamiliar with DNS. A
45:ref:`intro_dns_security` is provided to allow BIND operators to implement
46appropriate security for their operational environment.
47
48:ref:`requirements` describes the hardware and environment requirements for BIND 9
49and lists both the supported and unsupported platforms.
50
51:ref:`configuration` is intended as a quickstart guide for newer users. Sample files
52are included for :ref:`config_auth_samples` (both :ref:`primary<sample_primary>` and
53:ref:`secondary<sample_secondary>`), as well as a simple :ref:`config_resolver_samples` and
54a :ref:`sample_forwarding`. Some reference material on the :ref:`Zone File<zone_file>` is included.
55
56:ref:`ns_operations` covers basic BIND 9 software and DNS operations, including some
57useful tools, Unix signals, and plugins.
58
59:ref:`advanced` builds on the configurations of :ref:`configuration`, adding
60functions and features the system administrator may need.
61
62:ref:`security` covers most aspects of BIND 9 security, including file permissions,
63running BIND 9 in a "jail," and securing file transfers and dynamic updates.
64
65:ref:`dnssec` describes the theory and practice of cryptographic authentication of DNS
66information. The :ref:`dnssec_guide` is a practical guide to implementing DNSSEC.
67
68:ref:`Reference` gives exhaustive descriptions of all supported blocks, statements,
69and grammars used in BIND 9's ``named.conf`` configuration file.
70
71:ref:`troubleshooting` provides information on identifying and solving BIND 9 and DNS
72problems. Information about bug-reporting procedures is also provided.
73
74:ref:`build_bind` is a definitive guide for those occasions where the user requires
75special options not provided in the standard Linux or Unix distributions.
76
77The **Appendices** contain useful reference information, such as a bibliography and historic
78information related to BIND and the Domain Name System, as well as the current *man*
79pages for all the published tools.
80
81.. _conventions:
82
83Conventions Used in This Document
84---------------------------------
85
86In this document, we generally use ``fixed-width`` text to indicate the
87following types of information:
88
89- pathnames
90- filenames
91- URLs
92- hostnames
93- mailing list names
94- new terms or concepts
95- literal user input
96- program output
97- keywords
98- variables
99
100Text in "quotes," **bold text**, or *italics* is also used for emphasis or clarity.
101