[Pdns-users] Unexpected answer for domains with no resource records

[Alex van den Bogaerdt]

Hi,

To the best of my knowledge, existing domains with no resource records
attached should result in status=NOERROR and ANSWER=0

With pdns 2.9.20 I get a different result:

(I removed much of the output, keeping only relevant lines)

pdns is running on port 153, named on its default.

========================================================================
; <<>> DiG 9.2.5 <<>> -p 153 www.x.example.org
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 21382
;; flags: qr aa rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; ANSWER SECTION:
www.x.example.org.	3600	IN	A	127.0.0.1
========================================================================
; <<>> DiG 9.2.5 <<>> -p 153 x.example.org
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NXDOMAIN, id: 65055
;; flags: qr aa rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0
========================================================================
; <<>> DiG 9.2.5 <<>> www.x.example.org
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 8543
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 1, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 2
;; ANSWER SECTION:
www.x.example.org.	345600	IN	A	127.0.0.1
========================================================================
; <<>> DiG 9.2.5 <<>> x.example.org
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 15072
;; flags: qr aa rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0
========================================================================


Notice existing domain x.example.org is reported NXDOMAIN by powerdns
but not by named (bind).

I expect the behaviour of bind to be correct.  After all, the domain
does exist, it just has no resource records attached.

Is this a wrong expectation ?
Is this an intentional derivation of the standard, if so: why ?


Also, although the server is authoritative for the zone, AUTHORITY=0
is reported to dig.  But logged by pdns: Authoritative NXDOMAIN to
192.168.0.3 for 'x.example.org' (ANY)

Querying a non-existing RR at an otherwise existing node (such as
looking for AAAA when not available) does result in ANSWER=0 and
AUTHORITY=1, as expected.

regards
Alex