nsupdate(1M)

NAME

     nsupdate - update Internet name servers interactively

SYNOPSIS

     nsupdate [-k keydir:keyname] [-d] [-v] [filename]

DESCRIPTION

     The nsupdate program can be used to update  Internet  domain
     name servers that support dynamic update.  nsupdate uses the
     DNS resolver library to pass  messages  to  the  DNS  server
     requesting  the addition or deletion of DNS resource records
     (RR's). nsupdate reads input from filename or from  standard
     input.

OPTIONS

     nsupdate supports the following options:

     -d    Debug mode.

     -k    Sign updates with Secret Key  Transaction  Authentica-
           tion for DNS (TSIG).

     -v    Virtual circuit. Make use of TCP to  communicate  with
           the server. The default is UDP.

USAGE

     nsupdate reads input records, one per line. Each  line  con-
     tributes  a resource record to an update request. All domain
     names used in a single update request  must  belong  to  the
     same  DNS  zone.  Updates  are  sent ot the master server as
     defined in the SOA MNAME field.  A  blank  line  causes  the
     accumulated  records  to  be  formatted into a single update
     request and transmitted to  the  zone's  authoritative  name
     servers.  Additional  records  may  follow, which are formed
     into  additional,   but   completely   independent,   update
     requests.  End  the  input  with  a  blank  line in order to
     transmit the last request.

     Records take one of two general forms. Prerequisite  records
     specify conditions that must be satisfied before the request
     will be processed. Update records specify changes to be made
     to  the  DNS database. An update request consists of zero or
     more prerequisites and one  or  more  updates.  Each  update
     request  is  processed atomically. All prerequisites must be
     satisfied, then all updates will be performed.

     nsupdate understands the following input record formats:

     prereq nxdomain domain-name

     This format requires that no RR of any type exist with  name
     domain-name.
     prereq yxdomain domain-name

     This format requires that at least one RR names  domain-name
     must exist.

     prereq nxrrset domain-name [class] type

     This format requires that no RR exist of the specified  type
     and domain-name.

     prereq yxrrset domain-name [class] type [data ...]

     This format requires that an RR exist of the specified  type
     and  domain-name.  If  data  is  specified,  it  must  match
     exactly.

     update delete domain-name [class] [type [data ...]]

     This format deletes RR's names  domain-name.  If  type  (and
     possibly  data) are specified, only matching records will be
     deleted.

     update add domain-name ttl [class] type data ...

     This format adds a new RR of specified ttl, type and data.

EXAMPLES

     Example 1: Using nsupdate  Interactively  To  Change  an  IP
     Address

     The following example shows the interactive use of  nsupdate
     to  change  an IP address. It deletes any existing A records
     for a domain name and then inserts a new address.  Since  no
     prerequisites  are  specified,  the new record will be added
     even if there are no existing records to delete. A  trailing
     blank line is required to process the request.

     example$ nsupdate
     >update delete test.example.com A
     >update add test.example.com 3600 A 10.1.1.1
     >

     Example 2: Using  nsupdate  Interactively  to  Add  a  CNAME
     (Alias)

     In the following example, a CNAME (alias) is  added  to  the
     database  only  if  there are no existing A or CNAME records
     for the domain name.

     example$ nsupdate
     >prereq nxrrset www.example.com A
     >prereq nxrrset www.example.com CNAME
     >update add www.example.com 3600 CNAME test.test.com
     >

     Example 3: Using nsupdate Interactively With a Key

     In the following example, nsupdate is signed  with  the  key
     mykey, which is located in the directory /var/named/keys.

     example$ nsupdate -k /var/named/keys:mykey
     >update add ftp.example.com 60 A 192.168.5.1
     >

FILES

     /etc/resolv.conf
           Initial domain name and name server addresses.

ATTRIBUTES

     See attributes(5)  for descriptions of the following  attri-
     butes:

     ____________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |       ATTRIBUTE VALUE       |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Availability                | SUNWcsu                     |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|
    | Interface Stability         | Standard BIND 8.2.4         |
    |_____________________________|_____________________________|

SEE ALSO

     in.named(1M),resolver(3RESOLV),    resolv.conf(4),    attri-
     butes(5)

     Mockapetris, P. RFC 1034, Domain Names - Concepts and Facil-
     ities. Network Working Group. November 1987.

     Mockapetris, P. RFC 1035, Domain Names - Implementation  and
     Specification. Network Working Group. November 1987.

     Vixie, P., editor, Thomson, S., Rekhter, Y.  Bound,  J.  RFC
     2136,  Dynamic Updates in the Domain Name System (DNS). Net-
     work Working Group. April 1997.

DIAGNOSTICS

       Qq send error

         This message typically indicates that authoritative name
         servers could not be reached.

       Qq failed update packet

         This message typically indicates that  the  name  server
         has rejected the update. Either the name server does not
         support dynamic update, or there was  an  authentication
         failure.

       Qq res_mkupdate: packet size = size

         If this is the only message sent, it indicates that  the
         update  was  received  and  authenticated  by  the  name
         server. However, the prerequisites  may  have  prevented
         the  update from being performed. Use debug mode (the -d
         option) to examine the status field in the name server's
         reply and determine if the update was performed.