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Name

Synopsis

Availability

SUNWcsu

Description

nstest is an interactive DNS test program. Queries are formed and sent by user command; any reply received is printed on the standard output. inet_addr is the Internet address of the DNS resolver to which nstest should send its queries. If inet_addr is not included, nstest first tries to contact a DNS server on the local host; if that fails, it tries the servers listed in the /etc/resolv.conf file. If a logfile is supplied, nstest uses it to log the queries sent and replies received.

Options

-d

Causes nstest to create a file named ns_packet.dump (if it does not exist) and write into it a raw (binary) copy of each packet sent. If ns_packet.dump does exist, nstest will truncate it.

-i

Sets the RES_IGNTC flag on the queries it makes. See resolver(3N) for a description of the RES_IGNTC flag.

-r

Turns off the RES_RECURSE flag on the queries it makes. See resolver(3N) for a description of the RES_RECURSE flag.

-v

Turns on the RES_USEVC and RES_STAYOPEN flags on the res_send () calls made. See resolver(3N) for a description of the RES_USEVC and RES_STAYOPEN flags.

-p

Causes nstest to use the supplied port instead of the default name server port.

Usage

When nstest starts, it prints a prompt (">") and waits for user input. DNS queries are formed by typing a key letter followed by the appropriate argument. Each key letter results in a call to res_mkquery () with op set to either IQUERY or QUERY and type set to one of the type values (defined in <arpa/nameser.h>). (Any other key letter than those listed below causes nstest to print a summary of the following table.)

Key Letter &
Argument	Op	Type
ahost	QUERY	T_A
Aaddr	IQUERY	T_A
Buser	QUERY	T_MG
buser	QUERY	T_MB
chost	QUERY	T_CNAME
fhost	QUERY	T_UINFO
Ggid	IQUERY	T_GID
ghost	QUERY	T_GID
hhost	QUERY	T_HINFO
ihost	QUERY	T_MINFO
Mhost	QUERY	T_MAILB
mhost	QUERY	T_MX
nhost	QUERY	T_NS
phost	QUERY	T_PTR
rhost	QUERY	T_MR
shost	QUERY	T_SOA
Thost	QUERY	T_TXT
Uuid	IQUERY	T_UID
uhost	QUERY	T_UID
whost	QUERY	T_WKS
xhost	QUERY	T_AXFR

After the query is successfully formed, res_send () is called to send it and wait for a reply. nstest then prints the following on the standard output:

• a summary of the request and reply packets, including the HEADER structure (defined in <arpa/nameser.h>) used in the request
• the question being asked of the name server
• an enumeration of the name server(s) being polled
• a summary of the HEADER structure received in the reply
• the question the name server answered
• the answer itself

Examples

To fetch the address of host playground.sun.com from the Sun name server, the user would enter:

$ nstest 192.9.5.1
> aplayground.sun.com

nstest would return the following:

res_mkquery(0, playground.sun.com, 1, 1)
res_send()
HEADER:
        opcode = QUERY, id = 1, rcode = NOERROR
        header flags:  rd
        qdcount = 1, ancount = 0, nscount = 0, arcount = 0
 
QUESTIONS:
        playground.sun.com, type = A, class = IN
 
Querying server (# 1) address = 192.9.5.1
got answer:
HEADER:
        opcode = QUERY, id = 1, rcode = NOERROR
        header flags:  qr aa rd ra
        qdcount = 1, ancount = 1, nscount = 0, arcount = 0
 


QUESTIONS:
        playground.sun.com, type = A, class = IN
ANSWERS:
        playground.sun.com
        type = A, class = IN, ttl = 1 day, dlen = 4
        internet address = 192.9.5.5

To look up a PTR record, enter:

$ nstest 192.9.5.1
> p5.5.9.192.in-addr.arpa

nstest would return the following:

res_mkquery(0, 5.5.9.192.in-addr.arpa, 1, 12)
res_send()
HEADER:
        opcode = QUERY, id = 2, rcode = NOERROR
        header flags:  rd
        qdcount = 1, ancount = 0, nscount = 0, arcount = 0
 
QUESTIONS:
        5.5.9.192.in-addr.arpa, type = PTR, class = IN
 
Querying server (# 1) address = 192.9.5.1
got answer:
HEADER:
        opcode = QUERY, id = 2, rcode = NOERROR
        header flags:  qr aa rd ra
        qdcount = 1, ancount = 1, nscount = 0, arcount = 0
 
QUESTIONS:
        5.5.9.192.in-addr.arpa, type = PTR, class = IN
 
ANSWERS:
        5.5.9.192.in-addr.arpa
        type = PTR, class = IN, ttl = 7 hours 47 mins 2 secs, dlen = 23
        domain name = playground.sun.com

Files

/usr/include/arpa/nameser.h

include file for implementation of DNS protocol

/usr/include/resolv.h

include file for the resolver daemon (in.named)

See Also

Table of Contents

• Name
• Synopsis
• Availability
• Description
• Options
• Usage
• Examples
• Files
• See Also