Bind9 DNS Server

Designed and deployed a self-hosted DNS infrastructure using Bind9 on Ubuntu Linux to provide authoritative DNS services for custom domains. This project demonstrates DNS administration, zone management, record configuration, and network troubleshooting commonly used in enterprise environments.

Project Overview

Deployed and administered a Bind9 DNS environment to provide authoritative name resolution for self-hosted services and lab infrastructure. Configured DNS zones, A, CNAME, MX, TXT, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records while validating DNS propagation, troubleshooting resolution issues, and implementing security best practices to improve reliability and service availability.

DNS Architecture

Internet
    │
    ▼
Registrar
    │
    ▼
Bind9 DNS Server
    │
    ├── A Records
    ├── MX Records
    ├── TXT Records
    ├── SPF
    ├── DKIM
    ├── DMARC
    └── Subdomains
            │
            ├── resume.jefffolio.com
            ├── tracker.jefffolio.com
            └── grafana.jefffolio.com

Environment

Component Details
Operating System Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS
DNS Software Bind9
Hosting Platform Virtual Private Server (VPS)
Domain jefffolio.com
Mail Provider IONOS Mail Services

Zone Configuration

Created authoritative forward lookup zones within Bind9 and maintained DNS records through manual zone file management. 

zone "jefffolio.com" {
    type master;
    file "/etc/bind/zones/db.jefffolio.com";
};

Zone files were updated and incremented using proper serial numbering to ensure DNS changes propagated correctly.

DNS Records Configured

Record Type Purpose
A Mapped domains to server IP addresses to propogate Website
MX Directed mail traffic to IONOS mail servers.
TXT Domain verification and email authentication.
SPF Defined authorized mail senders.
DKIM Validated message authenticity.
DMARC Provided email spoofing protection.

Security Measures

Testing & Validation

DNS records were validated using industry-standard tools to ensure proper resolution and mail delivery. 

dig jefffolio.com

dig MX jefffolio.com

dig TXT jefffolio.com

nslookup tracker.jefffolio.com

DNS responses were verified after each zone update to confirm successful propagation and record accuracy.

Challenges Encountered

Skills Demonstrated