[isp-dns] Re: Should I have to restart BIND for updates?

[Paul Robinson <prispdns@...]

On Wed, Nov 20, 2002 at 08:43:20AM -0600, Chris Clements wrote:
> 	I had a customer change a domain from one host (not us) to another host
> (not us).  Every other name server that we checked became aware of the
> change almost immediately.  Our name server however, labored under the
> illusion that no change had taken place.  I eventually had to stop and
> restart the service before the new name servers were learned by our DNS.
> This isn't normal is it?  Do you think the service was just porked?

Actually, it sounds completely normal.  Name servers cache records they've
retrieved recently and then keep them in the cache, typically until the
record's TTL expires.  You just changed a record that was already cached on
your name server, but wasn't cached (hadn't been looked up recently) on any
of the other name servers you checked.  

Restarting your name server abruptly cleared the server's cache and 'forced'
retrieval of the changed record.

Cheers,
Paul