Bind setup

I already have one server up and running and I am using bind 9, I also have a second server up and running and ready to go on line, it is a duplicate of the first server, on a second ip address. My question is about bind do I set up bind on that computer exactly as it is on the first comuter except for the ip address change? I already have my second ns2.mydomain.com pointing at the second ip address.

That's your choice. Either keep the 2 servers identical by yourself, or configure the second DNS server to keep itself up-to-date based on the first DNS server.

if I wanted to keep it up to date myself should I setup bind exactly as it is on the first one?

I already told you that was one way you can do it, so yes.

this is the way I have my zone file setup on the server that works
$TTL 3600
$ORIGIN barnzee.com.

@ IN SOA ns1 administrator (
10 ; Serial
10800 ; Refresh after 3 hours
3600 ; retry after 1 hour
604800 ; expire after 1 week
86400 ) ; Minimum TTL of one day

A 68.209.192.252
NS ns1
NS ns2
MX 10 mail

localhost A 68.209.192.252
ns1 A 68.209.192.252
ns2 A 68.59.110.238
www A 68.209.192.252
mail A 68.209.192.252



now this is the way I have it on the second computer

$TTL 3600
$ORIGIN barnzee.com.

@ IN SOA ns1 administrator (
10 ; Serial
10800 ; Refresh after 3 hours
3600 ; retry after 1 hour
604800 ; expire after 1 week
86400 ) ; Minimum TTL of one day

A 68.59.110.238
NS ns1
NS ns2
MX 10 mail

localhost A 68.59.110.238
ns1 A 68.209.192.252
ns2 A 68.59.110.238
www A 68.59.110.238
mail A 68.209.192.252

What I thought would happen is if the first server is down the second one would pick up the traffic since I have my name servers set up as ns1.barnzee.com 68.209.192.252
and ns2.barnzee.com 68.59.110.238
and registered this way with godaddy.

However if I shut the main server on ns1 down the second one never seems to have the traffic come its way.

That's right. Theoretically resolvers should try another host dns server when one is down, but all too frequently I see a single downed dns server ruining traffic. Sometimes your domain will resolve and sometimes it won't. So, while multiple dns servers will help distribute load, it does not provide good redundancy in the case one is down.

So make sure your host servers are always up.

It seems to be working now it just was a little slow picking up the 2nd dns