Managing DNS Essential Training

Course details

The Domain Name System (DNS) helps identify all resources on the Internet; a DNS server indexes the resources on your own network. Understanding how to manage a DNS server is key for any IT professional, including DNS administrators and programmers, analysts, and CTOs. Managing DNS Essential Training covers the theory and practice of administering DNS using dig and other DNS server technologies. Heavy in practical examples, and full of excellent visualizations to help with absorbing concepts, this course will have you saying "Eureka, I've got it!" in no time!

To begin, author Sean Colins covers the fundamentals of DNS. He then segues to more complex topics such as setting up a DNS server on Linux, Mac, and Windows and working with DNS record types, such as AAAA, MX, TX, CNAME, and SPF. He offers breakdowns of difficult concepts as well as practical technical tips for the day-to-day activities involved in DNS server management.

Learning objectives
How split-horizon DNS works
Lookups in Network Utility and Terminal on OS X, and from the cmd prompt on Windows
Resolving DNS from different DNS servers, including BIND on pfSense and DNS Manager in Windows Server 2012
Query, recursion, and caching basics
DNS hierarchy
Root-level DNS servers
Configuring resource records: AAAA, MX, TXT, and more
DNS tips and tricks for BIND, Windows Server, and Mac OS X Server
Exploring DNS server options

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - Prerequisites

1. Using DNS Every Day

03 - How DNS works - The executive summary
04 - How split-horizon DNS works
05 - Web browsing by number and name
06 - Lookups in Network Utility (OS X)
07 - Lookups in Terminal with dig
08 - Resolving DNS from different DNS servers
09 - How DHCP distributes DNS information to your network

2. The Fundamentals of DNS

10 - Query
11 - Recursion
12 - Caching

3. How DNS Is Organized as a System

13 - Components of DNS
14 - Recognizing different types of DNS servers and their functions
15 - Understanding DNS hierarchy
16 - Recognizing the names of common top-level domains
17 - Understanding root-level DNS servers
18 - Understanding the SOA and NS for a domain
19 - What is in a zone

4. Resource Records

20 - pfSense BIND setup and type A records
21 - Explore AAAA records
22 - Understand CNAME records
23 - Configure MX records
24 - Explore TXT records
25 - Understand SRV records
26 - Limit email spoofing with SPF in a TXT record
27 - Explore PTR records

5. DNS Tips and Tricks

28 - Windows DNS dynamic updates
29 - Windows DNS auto PTR creation
30 - OS X Server AAAA record conundrum
31 - mDNSResponder logging levels in OS X
32 - Reset Linux, Windows, and Mac DNS caches
33 - Mac hosts file and resolv.conf explained
34 - mDNSresponder options in Mac OS X

6. DNS Server Options

35 - Use an Internet-based DNS provider
36 - Understand Internet DNS
37 - Internet DNS - A records and CNAME records
38 - Internet DNS - MX and SPF records
39 - Windows Server 2012 - DNS zone setup
40 - Windows Server 2012 - Adding A, MX, and CNAME records
41 - Windows Server 2012 - Adding SRV and SPF records
42 - Windows Server 2012 - Creating reverse records
43 - Windows Server 2012 - Using NSLookup to test results
44 - OS X Server - Primary zone configuration
45 - OS X Server - Set resource records
46 - OS X Server - Set up a secondary zone for redundancy

Goodbye

47 - Additional books and resources to continue your study
48 - Thank you and goodbye

Managing DNS Essential Training

Authors

Sean Colins