[Pdns-users] mx failure scenario

[bert hubert]

On Thu, Dec 21, 2006 at 10:00:30AM -0800, gnu not unix wrote:

> I have a problem with my parent zone (sf.ca.us), where they
> are running powerdns (they used to run bind), and this change
> seems to have resulted in my loss of email connectivity.

Something definitely is odd:
$ dig +norecurs -t mx wraith.sf.ca.us @B.AUTH-NS.SONIC.NET.

; <<>> DiG 9.3.2 <<>> +norecurs -t mx wraith.sf.ca.us @B.AUTH-NS.SONIC.NET.
; (1 server found)
;; global options:  printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 42774
;; flags: qr; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 3, ADDITIONAL: 2

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;wraith.sf.ca.us.               IN      MX

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
sf.ca.us.               259200  IN      SOA     ns1.sonic.net. hostmaster.sonic.net. 2006122102 3600 300 1209600 3600
wraith.sf.ca.us.        3600    IN      NS      wraith.sf.ca.us.
wraith.sf.ca.us.        3600    IN      NS      smidge.wraith.sf.ca.us.

;; ADDITIONAL SECTION:
wraith.sf.ca.us.        3600    IN      A       192.58.220.5
smidge.wraith.sf.ca.us. 3600    IN      A       192.58.220.65

;; Query time: 163 msec
;; SERVER: 64.142.88.72#53(64.142.88.72)
;; WHEN: Thu Dec 21 22:33:18 2006
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 169

This SOA record should not be there. I have no easy explanation why it is
there.

You might want to ask your ISP to check if their domains table is up to
date.

One thing that looks odd, but is completely legal, is that you have an NS
record pointing to the name of your zone. Conceivably, this might be
confusing PowerDNS, as this is somewhat rare.

People mostly have:
wraith.sf.ca.us	IN	NS	ns1.wraith.sf.ca.us
wraith.sf.ca.us	IN	NS	smidge.wraith.sf.ca.us

Although this *should* not be the problem. Perhaps it is in your power to
give your nameserver a different name.

Good luck!

-- 
http://www.PowerDNS.com      Open source, database driven DNS Software 
http://netherlabs.nl              Open and Closed source services