How to prevent lame server messages going to the syslog.log file?

[Angie_1]

On our primary production DNS HPUX UNIX system, we are running 11.11, with named version of 9.2.0

We have been receiving "lame server" messages in the syslog.log file.

And this has been going on for months. If these are not important messages (what are they?), then is there a way to prevent them from recording to the syslog.log file?

Please let me know.

Thanks, Angie

[Marvin Strong]

assuming your message is something like

named[??]: lame server on hostname etc...

This particular message indicates that named has learned from a nameserver that a particular domain is served by a particular nameserver. When asked, however, that nameserver denies all
knowledge of the particular domain.

This is known as a "lame delegation", a reference that points nowhere. If the lame server isn't yours, there's nothing you can do
about it.

[Angie_1]

Below is an example of what is being recorded to syslog.log:
-Angie

named[694]: lame server resolving 'weatherbugconsumer.com' (in 'weatherbugconsumer.COM'?): xxx.xxx.xx.xxx#53
named[694]: lame server resolving 'weatherbugconsumer.com' (in 'weatherbugconsumer.COM'?): xxx.xxx.xx.xxx#53

[Marvin Strong]

If the server should be performing nameservice for the weatherbugconsumer.com domain, it may be useful to inspect it.
Is the zone for that domain expiring?
If the nameserver is performing secondary service, does it have the correct IP address of the master server(s)?
Again, if the nameserver is performing secondary service, is its copy of the SOA
record serial number greater than the one held by the master server?
Is there a typographical error or omission in the boot file?

If that server is not performing nameservices for weatherbugconsumer.com, the only thing you can do is contact them and let them know they have a problem.

[Angie_1]

No, there are a zillion messages like the example I gave. The server that this message is located on, is not of course the server for performing nameservice for that weatherbugconsumer.com domain.

So how can you prevent all these lame server messages getting into our syslog.log file. I mean we don't care to be notified about all these domains that we are getting the lame server messages for.

Angie

[Marvin Strong · Accepted solution]

For bind 9.1

add the following to /etc/named.conf

logging {
category lame servers {null;};
}

[Marvin Strong]

of course you have to HUP named so it re-reads the config file after any log changes.

[Angie_1]

Ok I will add that line in named.conf file. Thank you...will see if that works.

Angie

[Florian Heigl (new acc)]

You can have a look at the bind9 administrators manual available at www.isc.org (bind9arm.pdf) for further information on this, but the logging option already will surely solve the issue.