Re: [gentoo-user] Running HTTP and DNS on same machine

[Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon@gmail.com>]

On Wed 17 August 2011 14:49:29 Grant did opine thusly:
> >> I currently use a free service to host the DNS records for my
> >> website, but I'm thinking of running a DNS server on the same
> >> machine that runs my website instead.  Would that be fairly
> >> trivial to set up and maintain?  If so, which package should
> >> I use?> 
> > The first question is Why?
> 
> My thinking was of the "may as well" variety but now it's sounding
> like a very bad idea.  Are there DNS hosts you guys particularly
> like?

Don't be too put off, it can be a good learning experience depending 
on how critical your domain is - some things don't matter if they are 
off-air for a week. The most valuable lessons you will ever learn are 
the ones where you then know what you should not do :-)

I can't advise on any free providers as a) I'm far away in a place 
that has nothing in common with your location and b) I've never 
interacted with any of them. Our DNS service is for corporate 
customers with guarantees and SLAs and contracted response times - a 
whole different ball game.



> - Grant
> 
> > There's no real benefit, it's a huge amount of work for little
> > gain, you carry the cost of increased traffic yourself, and if
> > that host goes blip, you not only lose access to the web server
> > but to the entire zone as well.
> > 
> > Technically there's no good reason why you can't co-host web and
> > dns. However, depending on your upper level domain and
> > registrar, TWO dns servers may be a requirement (this is the
> > norm) and you propose only one. Where's the second one going to
> > be? Only one is a very bad idea indeed.
> > 
> > Your last two questions reveal that this is not something you
> > are
> > familiar with already, so I highly recommend you investigate
> > everything thoroughly and fully understand just what you are
> > letting yourself in for before deciding.
> > 
> > If you simply don't like your current DNS provider, then finding
> > a different one you do like is quite simple.
> > 
> > 
> > --
> > alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com
-- 
alan dot mckinnon at gmail dot com