[Pdns-users] pdns server fails every morning when it starts getting used.

Wed Jan 7 22:17:38 UTC 2015

Hi guys,

I've got a pdns server at one site that is causing me massive headaches.  
Every morning when the staff come in and start using it (and were not talking 
large numbers) it fails to serve external dns and has to be restarted 
(usually) or rebooted.

When it's not happy, the logs are full of 

Jan  8 09:07:12 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 192.168.10.17:45089 
with internal id 21 was not answered by backend within timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:12 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.165:53964 with internal id 126 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:14 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.165:58055 with internal id 30 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:14 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.165:52827 with internal id 127 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:14 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.195:64707 with internal id 128 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:14 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.165:58055 with internal id 129 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:15 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.165:64660 with internal id 130 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:15 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.195:64707 with internal id 131 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:15 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.195:54609 with internal id 132 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:15 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.123:53524 with internal id 133 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:15 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.165:52827 with internal id 134 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:16 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.165:58055 with internal id 135 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:17 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.165:58292 with internal id 136 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:18 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.165:58292 with internal id 137 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:18 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.165:64660 with internal id 138 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id
Jan  8 09:07:18 dns pdns[5233]: Recursive query for remote 
192.168.10.195:64707 with internal id 139 was not answered by backend within 
timeout, reusing id

but as far as I can determine, the recursed dns server is quite happily 
returning results.

My config is

# Autogenerated configuration file template
#################################
# allow-axfr-ips    If enabled, restrict zonetransfers to originate from these
#                   IP addresses
#
# allow-axfr-ips=

#################################
# allow-recursion       List of netmasks that are allowed to recurse
#
allow-recursion=192.168.10.0/24, 127.0.0.1

#################################
# allow-recursion-override   Local data even about hosts that don't exist will
#                            override the internet. (on/off)
#
allow-recursion-override=on

#################################
# cache-ttl     Seconds to store packets in the PacketCache
#
# cache-ttl=20

#################################
# chroot        If set, chroot to this directory for more security
#
# chroot=/var/spool/powerdns

#################################
# config-dir    Location of configuration directory (pdns.conf)
#
config-dir=/etc/powerdns

#################################
# config-name   Name of this virtual configuration - will rename the binary 
image
#
# config-name=

#################################
# control-console       Debugging switch - don't use
#
# control-console=no

#################################
# daemon        Operate as a daemon
#
daemon=yes

#################################
# default-soa-name      name to insert in the SOA record if none set in the 
backend
#
# default-soa-name=a.misconfigured.powerdns.server

#################################
# disable-axfr  Disable zonetransfers but do allow TCP queries
#
disable-axfr=yes

#################################
# disable-tcp   Do not listen to TCP queries
#
# disable-tcp=no

#################################
# distributor-threads   Default number of Distributor (backend) threads to 
start
#
# distributor-threads=3

#################################
# fancy-records Process URL and MBOXFW records
#
# fancy-records=no

#################################
# guardian      Run within a guardian process
#
guardian=yes

#################################
# launch        Which backends to launch and order to query them in
#
launch=gmysql

#################################
# lazy-recursion        Only recurse if question cannot be answered locally
#
lazy-recursion=yes

#################################
# load-modules  Load this module - supply absolute or relative path
#
# load-modules=

#################################
# local-address Local IP address to which we bind
#
local-address=192.168.10.6

#################################
# local-ipv6    Local IP address to which we bind
#
# local-ipv6=

#################################
# local-port    The port on which we listen
#
local-port=53

#################################
# log-dns-details       If PDNS should log failed update requests
#
# log-dns-details=

#################################
# log-failed-updates    If PDNS should log failed update requests
#
# log-failed-updates=

#################################
# logfile       Logfile to use
#
logfile=/var/log/pdns.log

#################################
# logging-facility      Log under a specific facility
#
# logging-facility=

#################################
# loglevel      Amount of logging. Higher is more. Do not set below 3
#
loglevel=4

#################################
# master        Act as a master
#
master=yes

#################################
# max-queue-length      Maximum queuelength before considering situation lost
#
# max-queue-length=5000

#################################
# max-tcp-connections   Maximum number of TCP connections
#
# max-tcp-connections=10

#################################
# module-dir    Default directory for modules
#
module-dir=/usr/lib/powerdns

#################################
# negquery-cache-ttl    Seconds to store packets in the PacketCache
#
# negquery-cache-ttl=60

#################################
# out-of-zone-additional-processing     Do out of zone additional processing
#
out-of-zone-additional-processing=yes

#################################
# query-cache-ttl       Seconds to store packets in the PacketCache
#
# query-cache-ttl=20

#################################
# query-logging Hint backends that queries should be logged
#
# query-logging=no

#################################
# queue-limit   Maximum number of milliseconds to queue a query
#
# queue-limit=1500

#################################
# query-local-address   The IP address to use as a source address for sending
#                       queries.
# query-local-address=

#################################
# receiver-threads      Number of receiver threads to launch
#
# receiver-threads=1

#################################
# recursive-cache-ttl   Seconds to store packets in the PacketCache
#
# recursive-cache-ttl=10

#################################
# recursor      If recursion is desired, IP address of a recursing nameserver
#
#recursor=192.231.203.132
recursor=220.233.0.4

#################################
# setgid        If set, change group id to this gid for more security
#
setgid=pdns

#################################
# setuid        If set, change user id to this uid for more security
#
setuid=pdns

#################################
# skip-cname    Do not perform CNAME indirection for each query
#
# skip-cname=no

#################################
# slave Act as a slave
#
# slave=no

#################################

#################################
# slave-cycle-interval  Reschedule failed SOA serial checks once every .. 
seconds
#
# slave-cycle-interval=60

#################################
# smtpredirector        Our smtpredir MX host
#
# smtpredirector=a.misconfigured.powerdns.smtp.server

#################################
# soa-minimum-ttl       Default SOA mininum ttl
#
# soa-minimum-ttl=3600

#################################
# soa-refresh-default  Default SOA refresh
#
# soa-refresh-default=10800

#################################
# soa-retry-default    Default SOA retry
#
# soa-retry-default=3600

#################################
# soa-expire-default   Default SOA expire
#
# soa-expire-default=604800

#################################
# soa-serial-offset     Make sure that no SOA serial is less than this number
#
# soa-serial-offset=0

#################################
# socket-dir    Where the controlsocket will live
#
socket-dir=/var/run

Is there anything in there that I've missed?

Thanks.

Peter Nunn

-- 

Director
InfoTeq Pty Ltd
0412 174 230
03 9017 2707