Caching only DNS server

Question

_{Tuesday, October 13, 2015 1:44 AM}

Good Evening,

I'm trying to better understand caching only DNS servers.  I understand what they do (based on what I've read), but what are some of the possible applications?  If I implement only a caching only DNS server, then how will hosts on the internal network resolve names on the internal network?  There wouldn't be an authoritative zone for the internal network, correct?  Would I also have to have a DNS server that was authoritative for my internal network?  If so, then why use a caching only DNS server to begin with?  Thanks.

All replies (3)

_{Wednesday, October 14, 2015 4:32 AM ✅Answered}

Hi BobMiller22,

A caching-only DNS server can be valuable at a site where DNS functionality is needed locally but it is undesirable to create a separate domain or zone for that location.

Caching-only DNS server do not host any zones and are not authoritative for a particular domain. When the server is initially started, it has no cached information and the information is obtained over time as client requests are serviced. It may use root hints to find the authoritative zone for DNS queries, when it receive the resolution from other DNS server, it will return the result to clients and cache the result on itself. Next time, when clients query for the same FQDN, it may return the cached result to clients without querying other DNS server again.

If you want to create a domain in an internal network and want the members to communicate with each other using DNS records, we need to create an authoritative zone for this domain and register the domain members in the zone at the beginning. If so, it seems no necessity to set up an additional caching-only DNS server if clients could query the original DNS server correctly.

Best Regards,

Anne He

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_{Wednesday, October 14, 2015 2:19 PM ✅Answered}

You can try adding and entry in the host record of your caching only DNS server to point to the actual Domain integrated DNS Server.

internaladdomain.com 10.1.1.1

In this way, when the network queries the Caching only DNS Server for internal resolutions, it will get answers from the Domain Controller (Most cases, DC will also be the DNS server) and still the caching only DNS Server might learn and cache the details of internal network for future resolutions.

_{Friday, October 16, 2015 12:50 PM}

Thank you both for your replies!