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(Linux) Dynamic DNS updates over multiple sites
Hi all,
Here's a problem I've been considering for a while: at home, I run a Linux box at a few different locations acting as a DHCP / DNS / Samba etc server. All these sites are linked by VPNs, so any machine can see any other. So far so good.
I have dynamic DNS updates set up using dhcpd and bind, such that at each location, a machine grabbing a DHCP address should end up registered with its local DNS server as {hostname}.internal.mydomain.
My problem is how to deal with laptops moving between sites: the same machine might be in Cambridge one day, and Kent the next, on two different subnets.
One option would be to have {hostname}.{site}.internal.mydomain, at which point each DNS server just needs to serve the master zone for its site, and slave the other sites. However, this: a) results in even longer names, and b) means to retain any sanity, I need to add each of the sites to the list of search domains.
Is there a better way of doing this? Ideally I want a "shared zone" in DNS, where if a server doesn't find a local record matching a name, it queries the other servers to see if they have one. But I'm pretty sure this isn't possible (if nothing else, you'd need to avoid infinite recursion).
I guess another way would be to have a single master DNS server to which all the DHCP servers fire updates, then slave zones everywhere else...
Any thoughts?
Cheers,
Rob
Here's a problem I've been considering for a while: at home, I run a Linux box at a few different locations acting as a DHCP / DNS / Samba etc server. All these sites are linked by VPNs, so any machine can see any other. So far so good.
I have dynamic DNS updates set up using dhcpd and bind, such that at each location, a machine grabbing a DHCP address should end up registered with its local DNS server as {hostname}.internal.mydomain.
My problem is how to deal with laptops moving between sites: the same machine might be in Cambridge one day, and Kent the next, on two different subnets.
One option would be to have {hostname}.{site}.internal.mydomain, at which point each DNS server just needs to serve the master zone for its site, and slave the other sites. However, this: a) results in even longer names, and b) means to retain any sanity, I need to add each of the sites to the list of search domains.
Is there a better way of doing this? Ideally I want a "shared zone" in DNS, where if a server doesn't find a local record matching a name, it queries the other servers to see if they have one. But I'm pretty sure this isn't possible (if nothing else, you'd need to avoid infinite recursion).
I guess another way would be to have a single master DNS server to which all the DHCP servers fire updates, then slave zones everywhere else...
Any thoughts?
Cheers,
Rob
Views: 29
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Matt Simmons on -
I hate to say it, but I solved this with Active Directory ;-)
My users' laptops are members of the domain, and when they obtain their lease (which was offered by the gateway router/firewall) they update DNS on their own.
Even though I used AD, it's possible to do with with totally FOSS. Here's a guide for using Samba: http://www.linuxtopia.org/online_books/network_administration_guide...
Please let me know if I've misunderstood the question :-)
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Permalink Reply by Robert Chipperfield on -
Yeah, I know AD makes it Just Work, but this is really just for "home office" type networks, and it really isn't worth running another server running Windows. At the moment the servers run on MiniITX boxes to minimise power consumption, so they aren't really up to running VMs as well.
Regarding getting clients to submit DDNS updates, I've got that bit working (but nice howto guide - I'll keep that for when I forget next time!), it's just how best to handle this over multiple sites, each with their own DNS server...
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