Network Administration: BIND named.conf and named.custom Files

These files, found in the /etc directory, are the basic BIND configuration file and a installation specific override file. The named.conf file contains global properties and links to the other configuration files. The named.custom is where you place your special configuration customization.

named.conf

Because the Fedora BIND configuration tool edits this file, you shouldn’t edit this file directly. If you need to set your own configuration options, use named.custom instead.

Here’s a typical named.conf file:

## named.conf - configuration for bind
#
# Generated automatically by redhat-config-bind, alchemist et al.
# Any changes not supported by redhat-config-bind should be put 
# in /etc/named.custom
#
controls {
        inet 127.0.0.1 allow { localhost; } keys { rndckey; };
};
 
include "/etc/named.custom";
include "/etc/rndc.key";
zone  "0.0.127.in-addr.arpa" { 
               type master; 
               file  "0.0.127.in-addr.arpa.zone"; 
};
zone  "localhost" { 
               type master; 
               file  "localhost.zone"; 
};
zone  "lowewriter.com" { 
               type master; 
               file  "lowewriter.com.zone"; 
};

The line include "/etc/named.custom"; is what causes the named.custom file to be read in. The zone lines name the zone files for each domain for which the server is responsible.

By default, this file always includes two zones: 0.0.127.in-addr.arpa, which is the reverse-lookup zone for localhost, and localhost, the zone file for the local computer. Any other zones that you’ve added through the Fedora BIND configuration tool appear in this file as well.

named.custom

This file, also found in /etc, lets you add information to the named.conf file. Here’s a typical named.custom file:

## named.custom - custom configuration for bind
#
# Any changes not currently supported by redhat-config-bind should be put 
# in this file.
#
zone  "." { 
     type hint; 
     file  "named.ca";
};
options {
        directory "/var/named/";
};

One reason to use this file is if you want to include zone files that you create yourself without the aid of the Fedora BIND configuration program. If you want to include your own zone file, just add a zone statement that names the zone file.

For example, suppose that you want to add a zone named cleaver.com, and you’ve manually created the cleaver.com.zone. To include this zone, add these lines to the named.custom file:

zone  "cleaver.com" { 
     type master; 
     file  "cleaver.com.zone"; 
};

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/network-administration-bind-namedconf-and-namedcus.html