path: root/lib/kernel/doc/src/inet_res.xml

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  <header>
    <copyright>
      <year>2009</year><year>2015</year>
      <holder>Ericsson AB. All Rights Reserved.</holder>
    </copyright>
    <legalnotice>
      Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
      you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
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          http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

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    <title>inet_res</title>
    <prepared>raimo@erix.ericsson.se</prepared>
    <docno></docno>
    <date>2009-09-11</date>
    <rev>A</rev>
  </header>
  <module>inet_res</module>
  <modulesummary>A rudimentary DNS client.</modulesummary>
  <description>
    <p>This module performs DNS name resolving to recursive name servers.</p>
    <p>See also
      <seealso marker="erts:inet_cfg">ERTS User's Guide: Inet Configuration</seealso>
      for more information about how to configure an Erlang runtime system
      for IP communication, and how to enable this DNS client by defining
      <c><![CDATA['dns']]></c> as a lookup method.
      The DNS client then acts as a backend for the resolving functions in
      <seealso marker="kernel:inet"><c>inet</c></seealso>.</p>
    <p>This DNS client can resolve DNS records even if it
      is not used for normal name resolving in the node.</p>
    <p>This is not a full-fledged resolver, only a
      DNS client that relies on asking trusted recursive name servers.</p>
  </description>

  <section>
    <title>Name Resolving</title>
    <p>UDP queries are used unless resolver option
      <c>usevc</c> is <c>true</c>, which forces TCP queries.
      If the query is too large for UDP, TCP is used instead.
      For regular DNS queries, 512 bytes is the size limit.</p>
    <p>When EDNS is enabled (resolver option
      <c>edns</c> is set to the EDNS version (that is, <c>0</c>
      instead of <c>false</c>), resolver option
      <c>udp_payload_size</c> sets the limit. If a name server
      replies with the TC bit set (truncation), indicating that
      the answer is incomplete, the query is retried
      to that name server using TCP. Resolver option
      <c>udp_payload_size</c> also sets the advertised
      size for the maximum allowed reply size, if EDNS is
      enabled, otherwise the name server uses the limit
      512 bytes. If the reply is larger, it gets truncated,
      forcing a TCP requery.</p>
    <p>For UDP queries, resolver options <c>timeout</c>
      and <c>retry</c> control retransmission.
      Each name server in the <c>nameservers</c> list is
      tried with a time-out of <c>timeout</c>/<c>retry</c>.
      Then all name servers are tried again, doubling the
      time-out, for a total of <c>retry</c> times.</p>
    <p>For queries not using the <c>search</c> list,
      if the query to all <c>nameservers</c> results in
      <c>{error,nxdomain}</c> or an empty answer, the same
      query is tried for <c>alt_nameservers</c>.</p>
  </section>

  <section>
    <title>Resolver Types</title>
    <p>The following data types concern the resolver:</p>
  </section>
  <datatypes>
    <datatype>
      <name name="res_option"/>
    </datatype>
    <datatype>
      <name name="nameserver"/>
    </datatype>
    <datatype>
      <name name="res_error"/>
    </datatype>
  </datatypes>

  <section>
    <title>DNS Types</title>
    <p><marker id="dns_types"/>
      The following data types concern the DNS client:</p>
  </section>

  <datatypes>
    <datatype>
      <name name="dns_name"/>
      <desc><p>A string with no adjacent dots.</p></desc>
    </datatype>
    <datatype>
      <name name="rr_type"/>
    </datatype>
    <datatype>
      <name name="dns_class"/>
    </datatype>
    <datatype>
      <name name="dns_msg"/>
      <desc>
        <p>This is the start of a hiearchy of opaque data structures
          that can be examined with access functions in <c>inet_dns</c>, which
          return lists of <c>{Field,Value}</c> tuples. The arity 2 functions
          only return the value for a specified field.</p>
        <pre>
dns_msg() = DnsMsg
    inet_dns:msg(DnsMsg) ->
        [ {header, dns_header()}
        | {qdlist, dns_query()}
        | {anlist, dns_rr()}
        | {nslist, dns_rr()}
        | {arlist, dns_rr()} ]
    inet_dns:msg(DnsMsg, header) -> dns_header() % for example
    inet_dns:msg(DnsMsg, Field) -> Value

dns_header() = DnsHeader
    inet_dns:header(DnsHeader) ->
        [ {id, integer()}
        | {qr, boolean()}
        | {opcode, 'query' | iquery | status | integer()}
        | {aa, boolean()}
        | {tc, boolean()}
        | {rd, boolean()}
        | {ra, boolean()}
        | {pr, boolean()}
        | {rcode, integer(0..16)} ]
    inet_dns:header(DnsHeader, Field) -> Value

query_type() = axfr | mailb | maila | any | rr_type()

dns_query() = DnsQuery
    inet_dns:dns_query(DnsQuery) ->
        [ {domain, dns_name()}
        | {type, query_type()}
        | {class, dns_class()} ]
    inet_dns:dns_query(DnsQuery, Field) -> Value

dns_rr() = DnsRr
    inet_dns:rr(DnsRr) -> DnsRrFields | DnsRrOptFields
    DnsRrFields = [ {domain, dns_name()}
                  | {type, rr_type()}
                  | {class, dns_class()}
                  | {ttl, integer()}
                  | {data, dns_data()} ]
    DnsRrOptFields = [ {domain, dns_name()}
                     | {type, opt}
                     | {udp_payload_size, integer()}
                     | {ext_rcode, integer()}
                     | {version, integer()}
                     | {z, integer()}
                     | {data, dns_data()} ]
    inet_dns:rr(DnsRr, Field) -> Value</pre>
        <p>There is an information function for the types above:</p>
        <pre>
inet_dns:record_type(dns_msg()) -> msg;
inet_dns:record_type(dns_header()) -> header;
inet_dns:record_type(dns_query()) -> dns_query;
inet_dns:record_type(dns_rr()) -> rr;
inet_dns:record_type(_) -> undefined.</pre>
        <p>So, <c>inet_dns:(inet_dns:record_type(X))(X)</c> converts
          any of these data structures into a <c>{Field,Value}</c> list.</p>
      </desc>
    </datatype>
    <datatype>
      <name name="dns_data"/>
      <desc>
        <p><c><anno>Regexp</anno></c> is a string with characters encoded
          in the UTF-8 coding standard.</p>
      </desc>
    </datatype>
  </datatypes>

  <funcs>
    <func>
      <name name="getbyname" arity="2"/>
      <name name="getbyname" arity="3"/>
      <fsummary>Resolve a DNS record of the specified type for the specified
      host.</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Resolves a DNS record of the specified type for the specified host,
          of class <c>in</c>. Returns, on success, a <c>hostent()</c> record
          with <c>dns_data()</c> elements in the address list field.</p>
        <p>This function uses resolver option <c>search</c> that
          is a list of domain names. If the name to resolve contains
          no dots, it is prepended to each domain name in the
          search list, and they are tried in order. If the name
          contains dots, it is first tried as an absolute name
          and if that fails, the search list is used. If the name
          has a trailing dot, it is supposed to be
          an absolute name and the search list is not used.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>

    <func>
      <name name="gethostbyaddr" arity="1"/>
      <name name="gethostbyaddr" arity="2"/>
      <fsummary>Return a hostent record for the host with the specified
        address.</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Backend functions used by
          <seealso marker="kernel:inet#gethostbyaddr/1"><c>inet:gethostbyaddr/1</c></seealso>.
        </p>
      </desc>
    </func>

    <func>
      <name name="gethostbyname" arity="1"/>
      <name name="gethostbyname" arity="2"/>
      <name name="gethostbyname" arity="3"/>
      <fsummary>Return a hostent record for the host with the specified name.
      </fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Backend functions used by
          <seealso marker="kernel:inet#gethostbyname/1"><c>inet:gethostbyname/1,2</c></seealso>.
        </p>
        <p>This function uses resolver option <c>search</c> just like
          <seealso marker="#getbyname/2"><c>getbyname/2,3</c></seealso>.
        </p>
        <p>If resolver option <c>inet6</c> is <c>true</c>,
          an IPv6 address is looked up. If that fails,
          the IPv4 address is looked up and returned on
          IPv6-mapped IPv4 format.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>

    <func>
      <name name="lookup" arity="3"/>
      <name name="lookup" arity="4"/>
      <name name="lookup" arity="5"/>
      <fsummary>Resolve the DNS data for the record of the specified type
        and class for the specified name.</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Resolves the DNS data for the record of the specified type and class
          for the specified name. On success, filters out the answer records
          with the correct <c><anno>Class</anno></c> and
          <c><anno>Type</anno></c>, and returns
          a list of their data fields. So, a lookup for type <c>any</c>
          gives an empty answer, as the answer records have
          specific types that are not <c>any</c>. An empty answer
          or a failed lookup returns an empty list.</p>
        <p>Calls
          <seealso marker="#resolve/3"><c>resolve/*</c></seealso>
          with the same arguments and filters the result, so
          <c><anno>Opts</anno></c> is described for those functions.</p>
      </desc>      
    </func>

    <func>
      <name name="resolve" arity="3"/>
      <name name="resolve" arity="4"/>
      <name name="resolve" arity="5"/>
      <fsummary>Resolve a DNS record of the specified type and class
        for the specified name.</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Resolves a DNS record of the specified type and class for the
          specified name. The returned <c>dns_msg()</c> can be examined using
          access functions in <c>inet_db</c>, as described in section
          in <seealso marker="#dns_types">DNS Types</seealso>.</p>
        <p>If <c><anno>Name</anno></c> is an <c>ip_address()</c>, the domain
          name to query for is generated as the standard reverse
          <c>".IN-ADDR.ARPA."</c> name for an IPv4 address, or the
          <c>".IP6.ARPA."</c> name for an IPv6 address.
          In this case, you most probably want to use
          <c><anno>Class</anno> = in</c> and <c><anno>Type</anno> = ptr</c>,
          but it is not done automatically.</p>
        <p><c><anno>Opts</anno></c> overrides the corresponding resolver
          options. If option <c>nameservers</c> is specified, it is
          assumed that it is the complete list of name serves,
          so resolver option <c>alt_nameserves</c> is ignored.
          However, if option <c>alt_nameserves</c> is also specified to this
          function, it is used.</p>
        <p>Option <c>verbose</c> (or rather <c>{verbose,true}</c>)
          causes diagnostics printout through
          <seealso marker="stdlib:io#format/3"><c>io:format/2</c></seealso>
          of queries, replies retransmissions, and so on, similar
          to from utilities, such as <c>dig</c> and <c>nslookup</c>.</p>
        <p>If <c><anno>Opt</anno></c> is any atom, it is interpreted
          as <c>{<anno>Opt</anno>,true}</c> unless the atom string starts with
          <c>"no"</c>, making the
          interpretation <c>{<anno>Opt</anno>,false}</c>.
          For example, <c>usevc</c> is an alias for <c>{usevc,true}</c>
          and <c>nousevc</c> is an alias for <c>{usevc,false}</c>.</p>
        <p>Option <c>inet6</c> has no effect on this function. You
          probably want to use <c><anno>Type</anno> = a | aaaa</c> instead.</p>
      </desc>      
    </func>
  </funcs>

  <section>
    <title>Example</title>
    <p>This access functions example shows how
      <seealso marker="#lookup/3"><c>lookup/3</c></seealso>
      can be implemented using
      <seealso marker="#resolve/3"><c>resolve/3</c></seealso>
      from outside the module:</p>
    <code type="none">
example_lookup(Name, Class, Type) ->
    case inet_res:resolve(Name, Class, Type) of
        {ok,Msg} ->
            [inet_dns:rr(RR, data)
             || RR &lt;- inet_dns:msg(Msg, anlist),
                 inet_dns:rr(RR, type) =:= Type,
                 inet_dns:rr(RR, class) =:= Class];
        {error,_} ->
            []
     end.</code>
  </section>

  <section>
    <title>Legacy Functions</title>
    <p>These are deprecated because the annoying double
      meaning of the name servers/time-out argument, and
      because they have no decent place for a resolver options list.</p>
  </section>

  <funcs>
    <func>
      <name name="nslookup" arity="3"/>
      <name name="nslookup" arity="4" clause_i="1"/>
      <name name="nslookup" arity="4" clause_i="2"/>
      <fsummary>Resolve a DNS record of the specified type and class for the
        specified name.</fsummary>
      <type variable="Name"/>
      <type variable="Class"/>
      <type variable="Type"/>
      <type variable="Timeout" name_i="2"/>
      <type variable="Nameservers"/>
      <type variable="Reason"/>
      <desc>
        <p>Resolves a DNS record of the specified type and class for the
          specified name.</p>
      </desc>      
    </func>

    <func>
      <name name="nnslookup" arity="4"/>
      <name name="nnslookup" arity="5"/>
      <fsummary>Resolve a DNS record of the specified type and class
        for the specified name.</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Resolves a DNS record of the specified type and class for the
          specified name.</p>
      </desc>      
    </func>
  </funcs>
</erlref>