Manual Chapter : 3-DNS Reference Guide v3.0: Introduction

Applies To:

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3-DNS Controller versions 1.x - 4.x

  • 3.0 PTF-02, 3.0 PTF-01, 3.0.0
Manual Chapter


1

Introduction



Getting started

The Reference Guide includes information about the features of the 3-DNS Controller. The Reference Guide also contains information about system configuration files and variables, command line syntax, scripts and utilities, and other 3-DNS objects. Use the Reference Guide for help in configuring a specific feature of the 3-DNS Controller. For load balancing and networking solutions, see the Administrator Guide.

Using the Administrator Kit

The 3-DNS® Controller Administrator Kit provides simple steps for quick, basic configuration, and also provides detailed information about more advanced features and tools, such as the 3dnsmaint command line utility. The information is organized into three guides as described below.

  • Installation Guide
    The 3-DNS Controller Installation Guide walks you through the basic steps needed to get the hardware plugged in and the system connected to the network. Most users turn to this guide only the first time that they set up a 3-DNS Controller. The Installation Guide also covers general network administration issues, such as setting up common network administration tools including Sendmail.
  • Administrator Guide
    The 3-DNS Controller Administrator Guide provides examples of common wide-area load balancing solutions supported by the 3-DNS Controller. For example, in the Administrator Guide, you can find everything from a basic DNS request load balancing solution to a more advanced content acceleration load balancing solution.
  • Reference Guide
    The 3-DNS Controller Reference Guide provides basic descriptions of individual 3-DNS Controller objects, such as wide IPs, pools, and virtual servers. It also provides syntax information for 3dnsmaint commands, configuration utilities, configuration files, and system utilities, scripts and SNMP.

Stylistic conventions

To help you easily identify and understand certain types of information, all F5 Networks administrative documentation uses the stylistic conventions described below.

Warning: All examples in F5 Networks documentation use only non-routable IP addresses. When you set up the solutions we describe, you must use IP addresses suitable to your own network in place of our sample IP addresses.

Identifying new terms

When we first define a new term, the term is shown in bold italic text. For example, a virtual server is the combination of an IP address and port that maps to a set of back-end servers.

Identifying references to objects, names, and commands

We apply bold text to a variety of items to help you easily pick them out of a block of text. These items include web addresses, IP addresses, utility names, and portions of commands, such as variables and keywords. For example, the nslookup command requires that you include at least one <ip_address> variable.

Identifying references to other documents

We use italic text to denote a reference to another document. In references where we provide the name of a book as well as a specific chapter or section in the book, we show the book name in bold, italic text, and the chapter/section name in italic text to help quickly differentiate the two. For example, you can find information about 3dnsmaint commands in the 3dnsmaint Command Reference section of the 3-DNS Controller Reference Guide.

Identifying command syntax

We show actual, complete commands in bold Courier text. Note that we do not include the corresponding screen prompt, unless the command is shown in a figure that depicts an entire command line screen. For example, the following command shows the current status of the 3-DNS daemons:

ndc status

Table 1.1 explains additional special conventions used in command line syntax.

Command line conventions used in this manual
Item in text Description

\

Continue to the next line without typing a line break.

< >

You enter text for the enclosed item. For example, if the command has <your name>, type in your name.

|

Separates parts of a command.

[ ]

Syntax inside the brackets is optional.

...

Indicates that you can type a series of items.

Finding help and technical support resources

You can find additional technical documentation about the 3-DNS Controller in the following locations:

  • Release notes
    The release note for the current version of the 3-DNS Controller is available from the home page of the Configuration utility. The release note contains the latest information for the current version including a list of new features and enhancements, a list of fixes, and a list of known issues.
  • Online help for 3-DNS Controller features
    You can find help online in three different locations:
    • The Configuration utility home page has PDF versions of the guides included in the Administrator Kit. Software upgrades for the 3-DNS Controller replace the guides with updated versions as appropriate.
    • The Configuration utility has online help for each screen. Just click the Help button in the toolbar.
    • Individual commands have online help, including command syntax and examples, in standard UNIX man page format. Simply type man followed by the command (for example man ndc), and the 3-DNS Controller displays the syntax and usage associated with the command.
  • Third-party documentation for software add-ons
    The Configuration utility contains online documentation for the third-party software included with the 3-DNS Controller, including NameSurfer and GateD.
  • Technical support through the World Wide Web
    The F5 Networks Technical Support web site, http://tech.F5.com, contains the AskF5 knowledge base and provides the latest technical notes and updates for the Administrator Kit guides (in PDF and HTML formats). To access this site you must first email askf5@f5.com to obtain a customer ID and a password.