CSS sometimes returns "rcode 3 name error"

jstoeckel · ‎09-18-2007

I have 3 content switches acting as DNS servers for my website. Occasionally they respond to valid A record queries with an rcode 3 name error. The problem is that this error is cached by some internet DNS servers and clients cannot resolve an address for my website until the SOA expires and there is a successfull refresh. Oddly enough this only seems to occurr with requests/queries from Verizon and Level 3. Queries via DNSStuff.com are always successfull. I'm running version 08.10.1.06.

Thanks in advance.

Jim

Report Inappropriate Content · ‎09-24-2007

The only way the CSS would get a DNS request for "domain.com" would be if NS records for"domain.com" are pointed to the owner of the .com domain ( the root servers)

jstoeckel · ‎09-24-2007

Yes, that is the way they are set up. The CSS(s) are responsible for replying with the "A" record if the backend service is up. The problem is, if someone reboots the server and there is a request during that time, the CSS returns an error/Rcode of 3. These return codes are cached by some name servers on the internet. The result is, that after the server is back online it is still unresolveable by some clients due to the name server cacheing the record. The web server is unresolvable until the TTL expires in the SOA record.