Apple 034-2351-Cvr User Manual

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Apple 034-2351-Cvr User Manual

Mac OS X Server

Network Services

Administration

For Version 10.3 or Later

Apple Computer, Inc.

© 2003 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.

The owner or authorized user of a valid copy of Mac OS X Server software may reproduce this publication for the purpose of learning to use such software. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this publication or for providing paid for support services.

Use of the “keyboard” Apple logo (Option-Shift-K) for commercial purposes without the prior written consent of Apple may constitute trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of federal and state laws.

Apple, the Apple logo, AirPort, AppleScript, AppleShare, AppleTalk, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, Power Mac, Power Macintosh, QuickTime, Sherlock, and WebObjects are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Adobe and PostScript are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.

UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through

X/Open Company, Ltd.

034-2351/9-20-03

Contents

Preface

5

How to Use This Guide

 

5

What’s Included in This Guide

 

5

Using This Guide

 

6

Setting Up Mac OS X Server for the First Time

 

6

Getting Help for Everyday Management Tasks

 

6

Getting Additional Information

Chapter 1

7

DHCP Service

 

7

Before You Set Up DHCP Service

 

9

Setting Up DHCP Service for the First Time

 

10

Managing DHCP Service

 

14

Monitoring DHCP Service

 

16

Where to Find More Information

Chapter 2

17

DNS Service

 

18

Before You Set Up DNS Service

 

18

Setting Up DNS Service for the First Time

 

21

Managing DNS Service

 

22

Managing Zones

 

25

Managing Records

 

28

Monitoring DNS

 

30

Securing the DNS Server

 

33

Common Network Administration Tasks That Use DNS Service

 

37

Configuring BIND Using the Command Line

 

41

Where to Find More Information

Chapter 3

43

IP Firewall Service

 

45

Understanding Firewall Filters

 

48

Setting Up Firewall Service for the First Time

 

49

Managing Firewall Service

 

55

Monitoring Firewall Service

 

57

Practical Examples

 

59

Common Network Administration Tasks That Use Firewall Service

 

60

Advanced Configuration

3

 

63

Port Reference

 

66

Where to Find More Information

Chapter 4

67

NAT Service

 

67

Starting and Stopping NAT Service

 

68

Configuring NAT Service

 

68

Monitoring NAT Service

 

69

Where to Find More Information

Chapter 5

71

VPN Service

 

72

VPN and Security

 

73

Before You Set Up VPN Service

 

73

Managing VPN Service

 

76

Monitoring VPN Service

 

77

Where to Find More Information

Chapter 6

79

NTP Service

 

79

How NTP Works

 

80

Using NTP on Your Network

 

80

Setting Up NTP Service

 

81

Configuring NTP on Clients

 

81

Where to Find More Information

Chapter 7

83

IPv6 Support

 

84

IPv6 Enabled Services

 

84

IPv6 Addresses in the Server Admin

 

84

IPv6 Addresses

 

86

Where to Find More Information

Glossary

87

 

Index

95

 

4

Contents

 

 

How to Use This Guide

Preface

What’s Included in This Guide

This guide consists primarily of chapters that tell you how to administer various Mac OS X Server network services:

DHCP

DNS

IP Firewall

NAT

VPN

NTP

IPv6 Support

Using This Guide

Each chapter covers a specific network service. Read any chapter that’s about a service you plan to provide to your users. Learn how the service works, what it can do for you, strategies for using it, how to set it up for the first time, and how to administer it over time.

Also take a look at chapters that describe services with which you’re unfamiliar. You may find that some of the services you haven’t used before can help you run your network more efficiently and improve performance for your users.

Most chapters end with a section called “Where to Find More Information.”This section points you to websites and other reference material containing more information about the service.

5

Setting Up Mac OS X Server for the First Time

If you haven’t installed and set up Mac OS X Server, do so now.

Refer to Mac OS X Server Getting Started for Version 10.3 or Later, the document that came with your software, for instructions on server installation and setup. For many environments, this document provides all the information you need to get your server up, running, and available for initial use.

Review this guide to determine which services you’d like to refine and expand, to identify new services you’d like to set up, and to learn about the server applications you’ll use during these activities.

Read specific chapters to learn how to continue setting up individual services. Pay particular attention to the information in these sections: “Setup Overview,”“Before You Begin,” and “Setting Up for the First Time.”

Getting Help for Everyday Management Tasks

If you want to change settings, monitor services, view service logs, or do any other day- to-day administration task, you can find step-by-step procedures by using the onscreen help available with server administration programs. While all the network services’ administration tasks are also documented in the network services administration guide, sometimes it’s more convenient to retrieve information in onscreen help form while using your server.

Getting Additional Information

In addition to this document, you’ll find information about Mac OS X Server:

In Mac OS X Server Getting Started for Version 10.3 or Later, which tells you how to install and set up your server initially.

At www.apple.com/server.

In onscreen help on your server.

In Read Me files on your server CD.

6

Preface How to Use This Guide

 

 

DHCP Service

1

 

 

 

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service lets you administer and distribute IP addresses to client computers from your server. When you configure the DHCP server, you assign a block of IP addresses that can be made available to clients. Each time a client computer configured to use DHCP starts up, it looks for a DHCP server on your network. If a DHCP server is found, the client computer then requests an IP address. The DHCP server checks for an available IP address and sends it to the client computer along with a “lease period” (the length of time the client computer can use the address) and configuration information.

You can use the DHCP module in Server Admin to:

Configure and administer DHCP service.

Create and administer subnets.

Configure DNS, LDAP, and WINS options for client computers.

View DHCP address leases.

If your organization has more clients than IP addresses, you’ll benefit from using DHCP service. IP addresses are assigned on an as-needed basis, and when they’re not needed, they’re available for use by other clients. You can use a combination of static and dynamic IP addresses for your network if you need to. Read the next section for more information about static and dynamic allocation of IP addresses.

Organizations may benefit from the features of DHCP service, such as the ability to set Domain Name System (DNS) and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) options for client computers without additional client configuration.

Before You Set Up DHCP Service

Before you set up DHCP service, read this section for information about creating subnets, assigning static and dynamic IP addresses, locating your server on the network, and avoiding reserved IP addresses.

7

Creating Subnets

Subnets are groupings of computers on the same network that simplify administration. You can organize subnets any way that is useful to you. For example, you can create subnets for different groups within your organization or for different floors of a building. Once you have grouped client computers into subnets, you can configure options for all the computers in a subnet at one time instead of setting options for individual client computers. Each subnet needs a way to connect to the other subnets. A hardware device called a router typically connects subnets.

Assigning IP Addresses Dynamically

With dynamic allocation, an IP address is assigned for a limited period of time (the lease time) or until the client computer doesn’t need the IP address, whichever comes first. By using short leases, DHCP can reassign IP addresses on networks that have more computers than available IP addresses.

Addresses allocated to Virtual Private Network (VPN) clients are distributed much like DHCP addresses, but they don’t come out of the same range of addresses as DHCP. If you plan on using VPN, be sure to leave some addresses unallocated by DHCP for use by VPN. To learn more about VPN, see Chapter 5,“VPN Service,” on page 71.

Using Static IP Addresses

Static IP addresses are assigned to a computer or device once and then don’t change. You may want to assign static IP addresses to computers that must have a continuous Internet presence, such as web servers. Other devices that must be continuously available to network users, such as printers, may also benefit from static IP addresses.

Static IP addresses must be set up manually by entering the IP address on the computer or device that is assigned the address. Manually configured static IP addresses avoid possible issues certain services may have with DHCP-assigned addresses and avoid the delay required for DHCP to assign an address.

Don’t include Static IP address ranges in the range distributed by DHCP.

Locating the DHCP Server

When a client computer looks for a DHCP server, it broadcasts a message. If your DHCP server is on a different subnet from the client computer, you must make sure the routers that connect your subnets can forward the client broadcasts and the DHCP server responses. A relay agent or router on your network that can relay BootP communications will work for DHCP. If you don’t have a means to relay BootP communications, you must place the DHCP server on the same subnet as your client.

8

Chapter 1 DHCP Service

 

 

Interacting With Other DHCP Servers

You may already have other DHCP servers on your network, such as AirPort Base Stations. Mac OS X Server can coexist with other DHCP servers as long as each DHCP server uses a unique pool of IP addresses. However, you may want your DHCP server to provide an LDAP server address for client auto-configuration in managed environments. AirPort Base Stations can’t provide an LDAP server address. Therefore, if you want to use the auto-configuration feature, you must set up AirPort Base Stations in Ethernet-bridging mode and have Mac OS X Server provide DHCP service. If the AirPort Base Stations are on separate subnets, then your routers must be configured to forward client broadcasts and DHCP server responses as described previously. If you wish to provide DHCP service with AirPort Base Stations then you can’t use the client auto-configuration feature and you must manually enter LDAP server addresses at client workstations.

Using Multiple DHCP Servers on a Network

You can have multiple DHCP servers on the same network. However, it’s important that they’re configured properly as to not interfere with each other. Each server needs a unique pool of IP addresses to distribute.

Assigning Reserved IP Addresses

Certain IP addresses can’t be assigned to individual hosts. These include addresses reserved for loopback and addresses reserved for broadcasting. Your ISP won’t assign such addresses to you. If you try to configure DHCP to use such addresses, you’ll be warned that the addresses are invalid, and you’ll need to enter valid addresses.

Getting More Information on the DHCP Process

Mac OS X Server uses a daemon process called “bootpd” that is responsible for the DHCP Service’s address allocation. You can learn more about bootpd and its advanced configuration options by accessing its man page using the Terminal utility.

Setting Up DHCP Service for the First Time

If you used the Setup Assistant to configure ports on your server when you installed Mac OS X Server, some DHCP information is already configured. You need to follow the steps in this section to finish configuring DHCP service. You can find more information about settings for each step in “Managing DHCP Service” on page 10.

Step 1: Create subnets

The following instructions show you how to create a pool of IP addresses that are shared by the client computers on your network. You create one range of shared addresses per subnet. These addresses are assigned by the DHCP server when a client issues a request.

See “Creating Subnets in DHCP Service” on page 10.

Chapter 1 DHCP Service

9

 

 

Step 2: Set up logs for DHCP service

You can log DHCP activity and errors to help you monitor requests and identify problems with your server.

DHCP service records diagnostic messages in the system log file. To keep this file from growing too large, you can suppress most messages by changing your log settings in the Logging pane of the DHCP service settings. For more information on setting up logs for DHCP service, see “Setting the Log Detail Level for DHCP Service” on page 15.

Step 3: Start DHCP service

See “Starting and Stopping DHCP Service” on page 10.

Managing DHCP Service

This section describes how to set up and manage DHCP service on Mac OS X Server. It includes starting service, creating subnets, and setting optional settings like LDAP or DNS for a subnet.

Starting and Stopping DHCP Service

Follow these steps when starting or stopping DHCP. You must have at least one subnet created and enabled.

To start or stop DHCP service:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Make sure at least one subnet and network interface is configured and selected.

3Click Start Service or Stop Service.

When the service is turned on, the Stop Service button is available.

Creating Subnets in DHCP Service

Subnets are groupings of client computers on the same network that may be organized by location (different floors of a building, for example) or by usage (all eighth-grade students, for example). Each subnet has at least one range of IP addresses assigned to it.

To create a new subnet:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Subnets tab.

4 Click Add, or double-click an existing subnet.

5 Select the General tab.

6 Enter a descriptive name for the new subnet. (Optional)

10

Chapter 1 DHCP Service

 

 

7Enter a starting and ending IP address for this subnet range.

Addresses must be contiguous, and they can’t overlap with other subnets’ ranges.

8 Enter the subnet mask for the network address range.

9 Choose the Network Interface from the pop-up menu.

10Enter the IP address of the router for this subnet.

If the server you’re configuring now is the router for the subnet, enter this server’s internal LAN IP address as the router’s address.

11Define a lease time in hours, days, weeks, or months.

12If you wish to set DNS, LDAP, or WINS information for this subnet, enter these now.

See “Setting the DNS Server for a DHCP Subnet” on page 12, “Setting LDAP Options for a Subnet” on page 13, and “Setting WINS Options for a Subnet” on page 13 for more information.

13Click Save.

Changing Subnet Settings in DHCP Service

Use Server Admin to make changes to existing DHCP subnet settings. You can change IP address range, subnet mask, network interface, router, or lease time.

To change subnet settings:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Subnets tab.

4 Select a subnet.

5 Click Edit.

6 Make the changes you want.

These changes can include adding DNS, LDAP, or WINS information. You can also redefine address ranges or redirect the network interface that responds to DHCP requests.

7 Click Save.

Chapter 1 DHCP Service

11

 

 

Deleting Subnets From DHCP Service

You can delete subnets and subnet IP address ranges when they will no longer be distributed to clients.

To delete subnets or address ranges:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select a subnet.

4 Click Delete.

5 Click Save to confirm the deletion.

Changing IP Address Lease Times for a Subnet

You can change how long IP addresses in a subnet are available to client computers.

To change the lease time for a subnet address range:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Subnets tab.

4 Select a subnet range and click Edit.

5 Select the General tab.

6 Select a time scale from the Lease Time pop-up menu (hours, days, weeks, or months).

7 Enter a number in the Lease Time field.

8 Click Save.

Setting the DNS Server for a DHCP Subnet

You can decide which DNS servers and default domain name a subnet should use.

DHCP service provides this information to the client computers in the subnet.

To set DNS options for a subnet:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Subnets tab.

4 Select a subnet and click Edit.

5 Select the DNS tab.

6 Enter the default domain of the subnet.

7Enter the primary and secondary name server IP addresses you want DHCP clients to use.

8 Click Save.

12

Chapter 1 DHCP Service

 

 

Setting LDAP Options for a Subnet

You can use DHCP to provide your clients with LDAP server information rather than manually configuring each client’s LDAP information. The order in which the LDAP servers appear in the list determines their search order in the automatic Open Directory search policy.

If you have are using this Mac OS X Server as an LDAP master, the LDAP options will be pre-populated with the necessary configuration information. If your LDAP master server is another machine, you’ll need to know the domain name or IP address of the LDAP database you want to use. You also will need to know the LDAP search base.

To set LDAP options for a subnet:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Subnets tab.

4 Select a subnet and click Edit.

5 Click the LDAP tab.

6 Enter the domain name or IP address of the LDAP server for this subnet.

7 Enter the search base for LDAP searches.

8 Enter the LDAP port number, if you’re using a non-standard port.

9 Select LDAP over SSL, if necessary.

10 Click Save.

Setting WINS Options for a Subnet

You can give additional information to client computers running Windows in a subnet by adding the Windows-specific settings to the DHCP supplied network configuration data. These Windows-specific settings allow Windows clients to browse their Network Neighborhood.

You must know the domain name or IP address of the WINS/NBNS primary and secondary servers (this is usually the IP address of the DHCP server itself), and the NBT node type (which is usually “broadcast”). The NBDD Server and the NetBIOS Scope ID are typically not used, but you may need to use them, depending on your Windows clients’ configuration, and Windows network infrastructure.

Chapter 1 DHCP Service

13

 

 

To set WINS options for a subnet:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Subnets tab.

4 Select a subnet and click Edit.

5 Click the WINS tab.

6Enter the domain name or IP address of the WINS/NBNS primary and secondary servers for this subnet.

7 Enter the domain name or IP address of the NBDD server for this subnet.

8 Choose the NBT node type from the pop-up menu.

9 Enter the NetBIOS Scope ID.

10 Click Save.

Disabling Subnets Temporarily

You can temporarily shut down a subnet without losing all its settings. This means no IP addresses from the subnet’s range will be distributed on the selected interface to any client.

To disable a subnet:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Subnets tab.

4 Deselect “Enable” next to the subnet you want to disable.

Monitoring DHCP Service

You’ll need to monitor DHCP service. There are two main ways to monitor DHCP service. First, you can view the client list; second, you can monitor the log files generated by the service. You can use the service logs to help troubleshoot network problems. The following sections discuss these aspects of monitoring DHCP service.

Viewing the DHCP Status Overview

The status overview shows a simple summary of the DHCP service. It shows whether or not the service is running, how many clients it has, and when service was started. It also shows how many IP addresses are statically assigned from your subnets and the last time the client database was updated.

To see the overview:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Click the Overview button.

14

Chapter 1 DHCP Service

 

 

Setting the Log Detail Level for DHCP Service

You can choose the level of detail you want to log for DHCP service.

“Low (errors only)” will indicate conditions for which you need to take immediate action (for example, if the DHCP server can’t start up). This level corresponds to bootpd reporting in “quiet” mode, with the “-q” flag.

“Medium (errors and warnings)” can alert you to conditions in which data is inconsistent, but the DHCP server is still able to operate. This level corresponds to default bootpd reporting.

“High (all events)” will record all activity by the DHCP service, including routine functions. This level corresponds to bootpd reporting in “verbose” mode, with the “-v” flag.

To set up the log detail level:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Logging tab.

4 Choose the logging option you want.

5 Click Save.

Viewing DHCP Log Entries

If you’ve enabled logging for DHCP service, you can check the system log for DHCP errors.

To see DHCP log entries:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2 Click Log.

Viewing the DHCP Client List

The DHCP Clients window gives the following information for each client:

The IP address served to the client.

The number of days of lease time left, until the time is less than 24 hours; then the number of hours and minutes.

The DHCP client ID. This is usually, but not always, the same as the hardware address.

The computer name.

The Ethernet ID.

To view the DHCP client list:

1 In Server Admin, choose DHCP from the Computers & Services list.

2Click Clients.

Click any column heading to sort the list by different criteria.

Chapter 1 DHCP Service

15

 

 

Where to Find More Information

Request for Comments (RFC) documents provide an overview of a protocol or service and details about how the protocol should behave. If you’re a novice server administrator, you’ll probably find some of the background information in an RFC helpful. If you’re an experienced server administrator, you can find all the technical details about a protocol in its RFC document. You can search for RFC documents by number at www.faqs.org/rfcs.

For details about DHCP, see RFC 2131.

For more information on bootpd and its advanced configuration options, see bootpd’s man page.

16

Chapter 1 DHCP Service

 

 

DNS Service

2

 

 

 

When your clients want to connect to a network resource such as a web or file server, they typically request it by its domain name (such as www.example.com) rather than by its IP address (such as 192.168.12.12). The Domain Name System (DNS) is a distributed database that maps IP addresses to domain names so your clients can find the resources by name rather than by numerical address.

A DNS server keeps a list of domain names and the IP addresses associated with each name. When a computer needs to find the IP address for a name, it sends a message to the DNS server (also known as a name server). The name server looks up the IP address and sends it back to the computer. If the name server doesn’t have the IP address locally, it sends messages to other name servers on the Internet until the IP address is found.

Setting up and maintaining a DNS server is a complex process. Therefore many administrators rely on their Internet Service Provider (ISP) for DNS services. In this case, you only have to configure your network preferences with the name server IP address provided by your ISP.

If you don’t have an ISP to handle DNS requests for your network and any of the following is true, you need to set up DNS service:

You don’t have the option to use DNS from your ISP or other source.

You plan on making frequent changes to the namespace and want to maintain it yourself.

You have a mail server on your network and you have difficulties coordinating with the ISP that maintains your domain.

Mac OS X Server uses Berkeley Internet Name Domain (BIND v.9.2.2) for its implementation of DNS protocols. BIND is an open-source implementation and is used by the majority of name servers on the Internet.

17

Before You Set Up DNS Service

This section contains information you should consider before setting up DNS on your network. The issues involved with DNS administration are complex and numerous. You should only set up DNS service on your network if you’re an experienced DNS administrator.

You should consider creating a mail account called “hostmaster” that receives mail and delivers it to the person that runs the DNS server at your site. This allows users and other DNS administrators to contact you regarding DNS problems.

DNS and BIND

You should have a thorough understanding of DNS before you attempt to set up your own DNS server. A good source of information about DNS is DNS and BIND, 4th edition, by Paul Albitz and Cricket Liu (O’Reilly and Associates, 2001).

Note: Apple can help you locate a network consultant to implement your DNS service. You can contact Apple Professional Services and Apple Consultants Network on the web at www.apple.com/services/ or www.apple.com/consultants.

Setting Up Multiple Name Servers

You should set up at least one primary and one secondary name server. That way, if the primary name server unexpectedly shuts down, the secondary name server can continue to provide service to your users. A secondary server gets its information from the primary server by periodically copying all the domain information from the primary server.

Once a name server learns a name/address pair of a host in another domain (outside the domain it serves), the information is cached, which ensures that IP addresses for recently resolved names are stored for later use. DNS information is usually cached on your name server for a set time, referred to as a time-to-live (TTL) value. When the TTL for a domain name/IP address pair has expired, the entry is deleted from the name server’s cache and your server will request the information again as needed.

Setting Up DNS Service for the First Time

If you’re using an external DNS name server and you entered its IP address in the Setup Assistant, you don’t need to do anything else. If you’re setting up your own DNS server, follow the steps in this section.

Step 1: Register your domain name

Domain name registration is managed by a central organization, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). IANA registration makes sure domain names are unique across the Internet. (See www.iana.org for more information.) If you don’t register your domain name, your network won’t be able to communicate over the Internet.

18

Chapter 2 DNS Service

 

 

Once you register a domain name, you can create subdomains within it as long as you set up a DNS server on your network to keep track of the subdomain names and IP addresses.

For example, if you register the domain name “example.com,” you could create subdomains such as “host1.example.com,”“mail.example.com,” or “www.example.com.” A server in a subdomain could be named “primary.www.example.com,” or “backup.www.example.com.”The DNS server for example.com keeps track of information for its subdomains, such as host (or computer) names, static IP addresses, aliases, and mail exchangers. If your ISP handles your DNS service, you’ll need to inform them of any changes you make to your namespace, including adding subdomains.

The range of IP addresses for use with a given domain must be clearly defined before setup. These addresses are used exclusively for one specific domain (never by another domain or subdomain). The range of addresses should be coordinated with your network administrator or ISP.

Step 2: Learn and plan

If you’re new to working with DNS, learn and understand DNS concepts, tools, and features of Mac OS X Server and BIND. See “Where to Find More Information” on page 41.

Then plan your Domain Name System Service. You may consider the following questions when planning:

Do you even need a local DNS server? Does your ISP provide DNS service? Could you use Rendezvous names instead?

How many servers will you need for anticipated load? How many servers will you need for backup purposes? For example, you should designate a second or even third computer for backup DNS service.

What is your security strategy to deal with unauthorized use?

How often should you schedule periodic inspections or tests of the DNS records to verify data integrity?

How many services or devices (like an intranet website or a network printer) are there that will need a name?

What method should you use to configure DNS?

There are two ways to configure DNS service on Mac OS X Server. First, and recommended, you can use Server Admin to set up DNS service. For more information, see “Managing DNS Service” on page 21 for instructions.

The second way to configure DNS is by editing the BIND configuration file. BIND is the set of programs used by Mac OS X Server that implements DNS. One of those programs is the name daemon, or named. To set up and configure BIND, you need to modify the configuration file and the zone file.

Chapter 2 DNS Service

19

 

 

The configuration file is located in this file:

/etc/named.conf

The zone file name is based on the name of the zone. For example, the zone file “example.com” is located in this file:

/var/named/example.com.zone

See “Configuring BIND Using the Command Line” on page 37 for more information.

Step 3: Configure basic DNS settings

See “Managing DNS Service” on page 21 for more information.

Step 4: Create a DNS Zone

Use Server Admin to set up DNS zones. See “Managing Zones” on page 22 for instructions. After adding a master zone, Server Admin automatically creates an NS record with the same name as the Source of Authority (SOA).

Step 5: Add Address and additional records to the zone.

Use Server Admin to add additional records to your Zone. Create an Address record for every computer or device (printer, file server, etc.) that has a static IP address and needs a name. When you create an A record, you have the option to specify the creation of a reverse lookup record and it’s corresponding zone. See “Managing Records” on page 25 for instructions.

Step 6: Set up a mail exchange (MX) record (optional)

If you provide mail service over the Internet, you need to set up an MX record for your server. See “Setting Up MX Records” on page 33 for more information.

Step 7: Configure the reverse lookup zone (optional)

For each zone that you create, Mac OS X Server creates a reverse lookup zone. Reverse lookup zones translate IP addresses to domain names, rather than normal lookups which translate domain names to IP addresses. If you have not specified reverse lookup records when initially creating your A records, you might need to configure your reverse lookup zone after its creation.

Step 8: Start DNS service

Mac OS X Server includes a simple interface for starting and stopping DNS service.

See “Starting and Stopping DNS Service” on page 21 for more information.

20

Chapter 2 DNS Service

 

 

Managing DNS Service

Mac OS X Server provides a simple interface for starting and stopping DNS service as well as viewing logs and status. Basic DNS settings can be configured with Server Admin. More advanced features require configuring BIND from the command-line, and are not covered here.

Starting and Stopping DNS Service

Use this procedure to start or stop DNS service. Remember to restart the DNS service whenever you make changes to the DNS service in Server Admin.

To start or stop DNS service:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS from the Computers & Services list.

2Make sure you have at least one Zone and its reverse lookup zone created and fully configured.

3 Click Start Service or Stop Service.

The service may take a moment to start (or stop).

Enabling or Disabling Zone Transfers

In the Domain Name System, zone data is replicated among authoritative DNS servers by means of the “zone transfer.” Secondary DNS servers (“slaves”) use zone transfers to acquire their data from primary DNS servers (“masters”). Zone transfers must be enabled to use secondary DNS servers.

To enable or disable zone transfer:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the General tab.

4 Select or deselect Allow Zone Transfers as needed.

Enabling or Disabling Recursion

Recursion is a process to fully resolve domain names into IP addresses. Users’ applications depend on the DNS server to perform this function. Other DNS servers that query yours don’t have to perform the recursion.

To prevent malicious users from altering the master zone’s records (“cache poisoning”), or allowing unauthorized use of the server for DNS service, you can disable recursion. However, if you stop it, your own users won’t be able to use your DNS service to look up any names outside of your zones.

You should only disable recursion if no clients are using this DNS server for name resolution and no servers are using it for forwarding.

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To enable or disable recursion:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the General tab.

4Select or deselect Allow Recursion as needed.

If you choose to enable recursion, consider disabling it for external IP addresses, but enabling it for LAN IP addresses, by editing BIND’s named.conf file. See BIND’s documentation for more information.

Managing Zones

Zones are the basic organizational unit of the Domain Name System. Zones contain records and are defined by how they acquire those records, and how they respond to DNS requests. There are three kinds of zones:

Master

A master zone has the master copy of the zone’s records, and provides authoritative answers to lookup requests.

Slave

A slave zone is a copy of a master zone stored on a slave or secondary name server. Each slave zone keeps a list of masters that it contacts to receive updates to records in the master zone. Slaves must be configured to request the copy of the master zone’s data. Slave zones use zone transfers to get copies of the master zone data. Slave name servers can take lookup requests like master servers. By using several slave zones linked to one master, you can distribute DNS query loads across several computers and ensure lookup requests are answered when the master name server is down.

Slave zones also have a refresh interval also. It determines how often slave zones check for changes from the master zone. You can change the zone refresh interval by using BIND’s configuration file. See BIND’s documentation for more information.

Forward

A forward zone directs all lookup requests for that zone to other DNS servers. Forward zones don’t do zone transfers. Often, forward zone servers are used to provide DNS services to a private network behind a firewall. In this case, the DNS server must have access to the Internet and a DNS server outside the firewall.

Adding a Master Zone

A master zone has the master copy of the zone’s records and provides authoritative answers to lookup requests. After adding a master zone, Server Admin automatically creates an NS record with the same name as the Source of Authority (SOA).

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To add a master zone:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Zones tab.

4 Click Add beneath the Zones list.

5Enter a zone name.

The zone name must have a trailing period: “example.com.”

6 Choose Master from the Zone Type pop-up menu.

7 Enter the hostname of the domain’s SOA.

If this computer will be the authoritative name server for the domain, enter the computer’s hostname (with a trailing period). For example,“ns.example.com.”

8 Enter the email address of the zone’s administrator.

The email address must not have an “@”, but a period; it should also have a trailing period. For example, the email address “admin@example.com” should be entered as “admin.example.com.” (Remember to leave the trailing period.)

9 Click OK and then click Save.

Adding a Slave Zone

A slave zone is a copy of a master zone stored on a slave or secondary name server. Slaves must be configured to request the copy of the master zone’s data. Slave zones use zone transfers to get copies of the master zone data.

To add a slave zone:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Zones tab.

4 Click Add beneath the Zones list.

5Enter a zone name.

The Zone name must have a trailing period: “example.com.”

6 Choose Slave from the Zone Type pop-up menu.

7 Click OK.

8 Click Add under the “Master servers for backup” pane.

9 Enter the IP addresses for the master servers for this zone.

10 Click Save.

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Adding a Forward Zone

A forward zone directs all lookup requests to other DNS servers.

To add a forward zone:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Zones tab.

4 Click Add beneath the Zones list.

5Enter a zone name.

The Zone name must have a trailing period: “example.com.”

6 Choose the Forward zone type from the Zone Type pop-up menu.

7 Click OK.

8 Click Add under the “Forward servers for fwd” pane.

9 Enter the IP addresses for the master servers for this zone.

10 Click Save.

Duplicating a Zone

You can create a copy of an existing zone on the same computer. You could use this to speed up configuration of multiple zones.

To duplicate a zone:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Zones tab.

4 Click the Duplicate button beneath the Zones list.

5If desired, double-click the newly duplicated zone to change the zone name, SOA or administrator email address.

6 Click Save.

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Modifying a Zone

This section describes modifying a zone’s type and settings but not modifying the records within a zone. You may need to change a zone’s administrator address, type, or domain name.

To modify a zone:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Zones tab.

4 Click the Edit button beneath the Zones list.

5Change the zone name, type, or administrator email address as needed. For more information on zone types, see “Managing Zones” on page 22.

6 Click OK, and click Save.

Deleting a Zone

The section describes how to delete an existing zone. This deletes the zone and all the records associated with it.

To delete a zone:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Zones tab.

4 Click the Delete button beneath the Zones list.

5 Click Save to confirm the deletion.

Managing Records

Each zone contains a number of records. These records are requested when a client computer needs to translate a domain name (like www.example.com) to an IP number. Web browsers, email clients, and other network applications rely on a zone’s records to contact the appropriate server.

The master zone’s records will be queried by others across the Internet so they can connect to your network services. There are several kinds of DNS records. The records which are available for configuration by Server Admin’s user interface are:

Address (A): Stores the IP address associated with a domain name.

Canonical Name (CNAME): Stores the “real name” of a server when given a “nickname” or alias. For example, mail.apple.com might have a canonical name of MailSrv473.apple.com.

Mail Exchanger (MX): Stores the domain name of the computer that is used for email in a zone.

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Name Server (NS): Stores the authoritative name server for a given zone.

Pointer (PTR): Stores the domain name of a given IP address (reverse lookup).

Text (TXT): Stores a text string as a response to a DNS query.

If you need access to other kinds of records, you’ll need to edit BIND’s configuration files manually. Please see BIND’s documentation for details.

Adding a Record to a Zone

You need to add records for each domain name (example.com) and subdomain name (machine.example.com) for which the DNS master zone has responsibility. You should not add records for domain names that this zone doesn’t control.

To add a record:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Zones tab.

4 Select the Zone to which this record will be added.

5 Click the Add button beneath the Records list.

6 Select a record type from the Type pop-up menu.

7In the first field, enter the fully qualified domain name.

The domain name must have a trailing period:“example.com.” If you’re creating a PTR record, enter the IP address instead.

If you’re creating a TXT record, enter the text string you want.

8In the second field, for the following record types, enter:

A records: the IP address.

AAAA records: the IPv6 address.

C-NAME records: the real name of the computer.

MX records: the name (with trailing period) or IP address of the domain’s mail exchanger.

PTR records: the full domain name with trailing period.

9If creating an A record, select “Create reverse mapping record” to automatically create its corresponding PTR record.

10 Click OK, and click Save.

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Modifying a Record in a Zone

If you make frequent changes to the namespace for the domain, you’ll need to update the DNS records as often as that namespace changes. Upgrading hardware or adding to a domain name might require updating the DNS records as well.

To modify a record:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Zones tab.

4 Select the Zone in which this record will be modified.

5 Double-click the record to be modified, or select the record and click the Edit button.

6 Modify the record as needed.

You can change the hostname, record type, or IP number.

7 Click OK.

Deleting a Record From a Zone

You should delete records whenever a domain name is no longer associated with a working address.

To delete a record:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Zones tab.

4 Select the zone from which this record will be deleted.

5 Select the record to be deleted.

6 Click the Delete button beneath the Records list.

7 Click Save to confirm the deletion.

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Monitoring DNS

You may want to monitor DNS status to troubleshoot name resolution problems, check how often the DNS service is used, or even check for unauthorized or malicious DNS service use. This section discusses common monitoring tasks for DNS service.

Viewing DNS Service Status

You can check the DNS Status window to see:

Whether the service is running.

The version of BIND (the underlying software for DNS) that is running.

When the service was started and stopped.

The number of zones allocated.

To view DNS service status:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click the Overview button for general DNS service information.

Viewing DNS Service Activity

You can check the DNS Status window to see:

The number of transfers running and deferred.

Whether the service is loading the configuration file.

If the service is priming.

Whether query logging is turned on or off.

The number of Start of Authority (SOA) queries in progress.

To view DNS service activity:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Activity to view operations currently in progress.

Viewing DNS Log Entries

DNS service creates entries in the system log for error and alert messages.

To see DNS log entries:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Log.

Changing DNS Log Detail Levels

You can change the detail level of the DNS service log. You may want a highly detailed log for debugging, or a less detailed log that only shows critical warnings.

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To change the log detail level:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Logging tab.

4Choose the detail level from the Log Level pop-up menu. The possible log levels are:

Critical (less detailed)

Error

Warning

Notice

Information

Debug (most detailed)

Changing DNS Log File Location

You can change the location of the DNS service log. You may want to put it somewhere other than the default path.

To change the log detail level:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Settings.

3 Select the Logging tab.

4Enter the desired path for the file path for the DNS service log, or select a path using the Browse button.

If no path is entered, the default location is /var/logs/.

Viewing DNS Usage Statistics

You can check the DNS Statistics window to see statistics on common DNS queries. Some common DNS queries begin with the following:

Name Server (NS): Asks for the authoritative name server for a given zone.

Address (A): Asks for the IP address associated with a domain name.

Canonical Name (CName): Asks for the “real name” of a server when given a “nickname” or alias. For example, mail.apple.com might have a canonical name of MailSrv473.apple.com.

Pointer (PTR): Asks for the domain name of a given IP address (reverse lookup).

Mail Exchanger (MX): Asks which computer in a zone is used for email.

Start Of Authority (SOA): Asks for name server information shared with other name servers and possibly the email address of the technical contact for this name server.

Text (TXT): Asks for text records used by the administrator.

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To see DNS usage statistics:

1 In Server Admin, choose DNS in the Computer & Services list.

2 Click Activity to view operations currently in progress and usage statistics.

Securing the DNS Server

DNS servers are targeted by malicious computer users (commonly called “hackers”) in addition to other legitimate Internet servers. There are several kinds of attacks that DNS servers are susceptible to. By taking extra precautions, you can prevent the problems and downtime associated with malicious users. There are several kinds of security hacks associated with DNS service. They’re:

DNS Spoofing.

Server Mining.

DNS Service Profiling.

Denial-of-Service (DoS).

Service Piggybacking.

DNS Spoofing

DNS spoofing is adding false data into the DNS Server’s cache. This allows hackers to do any of the following:

Redirect real domain name queries to alternative IP Addresses.

For example, a falsified A record for a bank could point a computer user’s browser to a different IP address that is controlled by the hacker. A duplicate website could fool him or her into giving their bank account numbers and passwords to the hacker unintentionally.

Also, a falsified mail record could allow a hacker to intercept mail sent to or from a domain. If the hacker also forwards those emails to the correct mail server after copying them, this can go undetected indefinitely.

Prevent proper domain name resolution and access to the Internet.

This is the most benign of DNS spoof attacks. It merely makes a DNS server appear to be malfunctioning.

The most effective method to guard against these attacks is vigilance. This includes maintaining up-to-date software as well as auditing your DNS records regularly. As exploits are found in the current version of BIND, the exploit is patched and a Security Update is made available for Mac OS X Server. Apply all such security patches. Regular audits of your DNS records is also valuable to prevent these attacks.

Server Mining

Server mining is the practice of getting a copy of a complete master zone by requesting a zone transfer. In this case, a hacker pretends to be a slave zone to another master zone and requests a copy of all of the master zone’s records.

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