DNSmanager 6 Knowledge Base
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Common issues

Common issues

This article provides solutions to the most common issues you may have when using DNSmanager.

Files and logs of DNS-servers

PowerDNS configuration file

CentOS: /etc/pdns/pdns.conf

Ubuntu: /etc/powerdns/pdns.conf

PowerDNS domain zone records

The records are stored in MySQL tables, a separate database for every name space. The default space is powerdns for CentOS and pdns for Ubuntu.

PowerDNS logs

CentOS: /var/log/messages

Ubuntu: /var/log/syslog

Master DNS-server diagnostics

DNS server does not respond to request for domain zone

Make sure the DNS server on the master server responds to requests for the domain zone:

dig <domain> @<IP address> ANY +short
View details

A response will look something like this: 

dig domain.name @1.1.1.1 ANY +short
mary.me. root.example.com. 2014041800 10800 3600 604800 86400
ns2.example.com.
ns1.example.com.
"v=spf1 ip4:1.1.1.1 a mx ~all"
10 mail.domain.name.
1.1.1.1

The following response indicates that the DNS server is not running:

dig domain.nam @1.1.1.1 ANY +short
; <<>> DiG 9.8.2rc1-RedHat-9.8.2-0.23.rc1.el6_5.1 <<>> domain.nam @1.1.1.1 ANY +short
;; global options: +cmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

An empty response indicates that the DNS server doesn't have information about the domain. Perhaps, it could not upload the domain zone. Open to the log for more details. 

Slave name server diagnostics

Checking connection with the DNS server 

Try to connect to port 53 of the master server through telnet:

telnet <IP address of the master server> 53

If you cannot connect, check the Firewall settings on the master and slave servers.

Checking domain zone transfer from master to slave

Execute the command:

dig <domain> @<IP-address> axfr
View details

The response should look like this:

dig domain.name @1.1.1.1 axfr
; <<>> DiG 9.8.2rc1-RedHat-9.8.2-0.23.rc1.el6_5.1 <<>> domain.name @1.1.1.1 axfr
;; global options: +cmd
domain.name.		3600	IN	SOA	mary.me. root.example.com. 2014041800 10800 3600 604800 86400
domain.name.		3600	IN	NS	ns1.example.com.
domain.name.		3600	IN	NS	ns2.example.com.
domain.name.		3600	IN	TXT	"v=spf1 ip4:1.1.1.1 a mx ~all"
domain.name.		3600	IN	MX	10 mail.domain.name.
domain.name.		3600	IN	A	1.1.1.1
ftp.domain.name.	3600	IN	A	1.1.1.1
mail.domain.name.	3600	IN	A	1.1.1.1
pop.domain.name.	3600	IN	A	1.1.1.1
smtp.domain.name.	3600	IN	A	1.1.1.1
www.domain.name.	3600	IN	A	1.1.1.1
domain.name.		3600	IN	SOA	mary.me. root.example.com. 2014041800 10800 3600 604800 86400

Very often, when configuring IP addresses in DNSmanager (in the "IP address management" module) users provide arbitrary grey or white IPs that might not work on that server. Due to such configuration, you won't be able to transfer the domain as it requires that IP address.

Also domain transfer can be refused on the master server. View the allow-transfer directive on the master server.

Possible causes:

  1. A private IP address which is not accessible from the slave server is specified for the user.
  2. The slave server IP address is not specified in allow-transfer of the domain zone. To add the IP address of the slave server, log into DNSmanager as User (the owner of the domain zone) → Settings → DNS settings → Allow-transfer.