[afnog] How to build a DNS Server

[Stephane Bortzmeyer]

On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 07:26:34PM +0300,
 Yahya <ymungilwa at iwayafrica.com> wrote 
 a message of 47 lines which said:

> I am changing to a new IP network block so the server will have a new IP  
> address.

So, you want or need to change the IP address of a name server? This
requires careful planning. 

First, an advice. It is not a DNS-specific thing. General engineering
practices apply: plan, write down, backup and test. All the failures
I've seen in changing DNS information came, not from ignorance of the
DNS, but from ignorance of general engineering practices (planning,
mostly, and lack of written plannings).

(For DNS-specific caveats, see Phil Regnauld's message.)

It is better when you can keep both IP addresses for the duration of
the change. If it is not possible, it will work but it will be more
complicated.

Once it is written down, with dates and so on, submit the plan to
colleagues to doublecheck it.

> Yes I am using BIND. Unfortunately I screwed it up so I think I might 
> have to re-install.

Re-install BIND because there is an error in the configuration??? It
is quite unheard-of.