[Pdns-users] PDNS-Recursor Not Providing DNS Lookups?

[Steve Chapman]

I'm working in an environment that uses split DNS (some parentcompany.com
servers we want resolved from corporate DNS servers, others from Internet
DNS servers).  I've installed the pdns-recursor RPM (3.1.7-1) on my RHEL 5
bind DNS server and configured the recursor, all defaults except:

allow-from=127.0.0.1  (users query the bind server, bind queries pdns on
port 5301, so only bind should be accessing pdns)
forward-zones-file=/etc/powerdns/zonesfile
ignore-rd-bit=on
local-address=127.0.0.1
local-port=5301

The zonesfile then contains things like:

Server1.parentcompany.com=<IP of Internet DNS server>
Server2.parentcompany.com=<IP of Corporate DNS server>

When I start the pdns-recursor and point bind to it, my nslookups fail:

----------------------------------------
[root at localhost powerdns]# nslookup
> server localhost
Default server: localhost
Address: 127.0.0.1#53
> set port=5301
> Server2.parentcompany.com
Server:         localhost
Address:        127.0.0.1#5301

** server can't find Server2.parentcompany.com: SERVFAIL
----------------------------------------

Using a tcpdump, I did see a dns request go to the correct DNS server, but
no response was provided.

If I run an "nslookup Server2.parentcompany.com <IP of Corporate DNS
server>", I get a valid IP address, and then if I subsequently re-run the
nslookup against the PDNS Recursor, it provides the answer from then on.
Why isn't it providing the answer initially?  Any ideas would be helpful.


Thank you,

Steve Chapman