Can I use a hidden primary?

Answered Tue, 20 Aug 2002

> I am having a difference of opinion with one of our ISP's regarding a
> plan to move to a "hidden primary" configuration.
>
> With the proposed configuration, our two ISP's would host each host a
> single "secondary" dns server, getting zone updates from our "hidden"
> primary. Our domain registration and whois records would only list the
> ISP's name server. Similarly, the zone file(s) would only have NS
> records for the ISP's name servers. The true primary server would not
> be listed anywhere.
>
> One of the ISP's is saying that this will not work, because the NIC
> requires at least one "primary" DNS server to be listed in the whois
> records, and that they will check to make sure that the given IP address
> does indeed point to a primary server (i.e. one that gets its zone
> records from a local source).

They're just plain wrong. Yes, many registrars will prompt you to enter
a "primary" and a "secondary" name server for your zone, but they have
absolutely no way of checking whether a name server you list is actually
the zone's primary master. And it's quite common to use a hidden primary
setup.

> I do not believe this to be true, but cannot find evidence either way to
> validate one of the positions.
>
> As the recognized dns guru, can you please answer this one.

Sure.

cricket