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I was thinking that I might be able to get away with simplifying DNS by foregoing the usual delegation setup and not operating DNS for my domain, instead relying only on the glue records in the TLD root.

Of course if I do this, it isn't possible to do things like have many subdomains, a prioritized MX record, delegated subdomains, and such, but will it work at all?

UPDATE

I tested that, and it didn't work (I don't remember where I got this information in the first place). Why?

Falcon Momot
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Mounir Ahmina
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    Your question is very confusing but it sounds like you're planning on not having a domain name at all and just telling people your IP address. I hope it's a simple one like `8.8.8.8`. Of course, that one's already in use. – Ladadadada Sep 11 '13 at 22:21
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    If you think choosing between `example.com` and `www.example.com` is going to make a significant difference in the load times of your website, you're very confused about how DNS works. Likewise with running your own name servers on the same host as the website. – Ladadadada Sep 11 '13 at 22:23
  • Did you even read what I write? – Mounir Ahmina Sep 11 '13 at 22:24
  • I'm talking about using DNS of course, But not a "DNS server". – Mounir Ahmina Sep 11 '13 at 22:25
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    Maybe you could elaborate on how you plan on using DNS without a DNS server. – Ladadadada Sep 11 '13 at 22:28
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    I said no DNS server, It is like point a domain name directly (The most far to directly) to a IP, Without any DNS records as A, CNAME... It is work great... But did it have any disadvantages? – Mounir Ahmina Sep 11 '13 at 22:32
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    @MounirAhmina The disadvantage is that it's not possible. You're asking about the performance disadvantage of buying a car, but not using the engine. – Wesley Sep 11 '13 at 22:37
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    If it's working at all, then there is an A record somewhere and you just don't know it. What is the domain name for this website? I'll dig the zone quickly and prove it to you. – MDMarra Sep 11 '13 at 22:38
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    I want some of whatever your on. – Matt Bear Sep 11 '13 at 22:41
  • @MDMarra I test that before, I'll re set up it... As you know DNS take time... I'll notify you when I set up it... – Mounir Ahmina Sep 11 '13 at 22:48
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    DNS doesn't take time if I don't have the record cached. If you set it up now, I will be able to see it immediately, as my resolvers have not cached a previous response for your zone. – MDMarra Sep 11 '13 at 22:49

2 Answers2

6

You can't create NS/glue records at your registrar, point them to the IP of your web server, and have users on the internet resolve your domain name properly. That's not how it works. You need a DNS server in the mix to host the A records for your domain - whether you self-host it or your registrar hosts it, or you have a third party host it is immaterial, it still needs to exist somewhere.

The end.

I feel the need to update this, because you have some crazy ideas about how DNS works that you've revealed throughout the comments. I'd like to address them here so that it will be useful to future visitors.

First read the Wikipedia DNS article before you do anything else. It's full of good information.

Next, I'll post the content of a comment on Joel's answer:

You have to have an authoritative server for your zone somewhere. When you register NS records for DNS servers, those servers are designated as authoritative for the zone by the registrar. Then, your A records and other records in that zone are what is used by recursive DNS resolvers like Google, your ISP, and others across the Internet. You still need an authoritative source of information for your zone. It is entirely possible to host this whole zone at your registrar instead of on your web server - but that's not how you asked your question

What is likely happening is that your registrar also has a DNS hosting service that they offer for you. This is not required and is not available across all registrars. There is no requirement that your web server should host your DNS, and in fact web servers do not act as DNS servers in large organizations. So, in a sense, you're on the right track by not hosting your DNS zones on your web server. Where you fall off of the rails are statements like this:

The glue DNS that point to my website will be hosted on your internet provider, Google DNS and on every DNS server on the world

That statement betrays your lack of understanding. What happens is addressed in my earlier comment. Most likely, you've created an A record for your domain on your registrar's DNS hosting, which is authoritative for your zone, since you haven't specified alternate DNS servers. There's no magic here. DNS lookups are still happening. They're just happening against your registrar's servers instead of your own.

When I try to resolve example.com what happens is I ask my DNS server for example.com. If it has the record cached, then it will answer immediately. If not, it must locate your authoritative DNS servers or another DNS server on the internet with your records cached. This happens by either root hints or forwarders. These responses are typically only cached for as long as you've set the TTL field on the record being queried. After that period of time, that record's cache is invalidated and my DNS servers have to go through the process of locating your DNS servers again for the record.

So, no, google and my ISP don't "host" your records. They cache copies of it that they retrieve from your authoritative servers - which appear to be configured at your registrar without your knowledge/understanding. There must be a DNS resource record for your domain hosted by authoritative DNS servers somewhere on the Internet, otherwise name resolution for your domain simply will not work

The end, for real this time.

MDMarra
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2

The obvious disadvantages to what you're planning are that

  • You're not gaining any advantage here. Seriously, you're not saving on DNS lookups and you're not saving any money either.
  • You're creating a highly non-standard configuration that will be a nightmare to maintain. Why will it be a nightmare? Precisely because it's not the standard way of doing things. Asking for help with it will be meaningless because no one hosts services this way.
  • Mail will be extremely problematic. Sending mail and especially receiving mail will be nearly impossible without some serious finangling.
Joel E Salas
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  • If I read his question correctly, he doesn't even want A records, or anything other than registrar glue for that matter, and he wants that glue to point to his web servers which won't be hosting a DNS server. Wat? – MDMarra Sep 11 '13 at 22:37
  • The advantages: No one will access my server to get something about DNS, Access my server only if you come for a HTTP or HTTPS request, The only thing that will be in my server is HIPHOP for PHP and MySQL... About the non-standard config... It is really a nightmare, I get scared when I thinking on that, I remember use that years ago (In the beginning of internet) with no problem, and I don't need mail... – Mounir Ahmina Sep 11 '13 at 22:42
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    @MounirAhmina You don't understand. What you're describing **does not work**. There is an A record for your domain, which points at your servers, somewhere. If you're not running a DNS server on your web servers, then it's somewhere else like your registrar. **You cannot resolve domain names on the internet without DNS** it's as simple as that. – MDMarra Sep 11 '13 at 22:46
  • That's not without DNS, It's without a DNS server hosted in my server, The glue DNS that point to my website will be hosted on your internet provider, Google DNS and on every DNS server on the world... Anyway, I'll contact you and update the question after set up it... Maybe the you're right and the glue DNS point with a DNS server using a NS, But like that I'll avoid the DNSception ^^ – Mounir Ahmina Sep 11 '13 at 22:52
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    @MounirAhmina that's not how it works. You have to have an **authoritative** server for your zone somewhere. When you register NS records for DNS servers, those servers are designated as authoritative for the zone by the registrar. Then, your A records and other records in that zone are what is used by **recursive** DNS resolvers like Google, your ISP, and others across the Internet. You still need an **authoritative** source of information for your zone. It is entirely possible to host this whole zone at your registrar instead of on your web server - but that's not how you asked your question – MDMarra Sep 11 '13 at 23:01