[SURBL-Discuss] RFC: Add "$DATASET dnset @" directive to SURBL rbldnsd zone files?

Dallas Engleken of SARE has suggested that we add a dataset directive to our rbldnsd zone files:

Can we please add a $DATASET definition to rbldnsd zone files for sc,ws, and be?

Ie.. On the 3rd line after $NS and $SOA, add a line labeled,

$DATASET dnset @

It will not break anything currently set up, but it will give those of use that use the 'combined' type with multi files in rbldnsd (called via uribl.surbl.org:combined:sc,be,ws) to merge ws, sc, and be together to create a single query.

Does anyone have any comments on this, good, bad or otherwise? Do other RBLs do it? Is it safe?

Here's the man page entry: :-)

man rbldnsd

   combined
          This is a special dataset that stores no data by itself but acts
          like a container for several other datasets of any  type  except
          of  combined  type  itself.   The data file contains an optional
          common section, where various specials are recognized like  $NS,
          $SOA,  $TTL (see above), and a series of sections, each of which
          defines one (nested) dataset and several subzones  of  the  base
          zone,  for which this dataset should be consulted.  New (nested)
          dataset starts with a line
            $DATASET type subzone subzone...
          and all subsequent lines up to the end of  current  file  or  to
          next  $DATASET line are interpreted as a part of dataset of type
          type.  Note that combined datasets cannot be nested.  Every subâ
          zone  will always be relative to the base zone name specified on
          command line.  If subzone specified  as  single  character  "@",
          dataset will be connected to the base zone itself.

          This dataset type aims to simplify subzone maintenance, in order
          to be able to include several subzones in one file for easy data
          transfer,  atomic  operations  and  to be able to modify list of
          subzones on remote secondary nameservers.

          Note that $NS and $SOA values applies to  the  base  zone  only,
          regardless of the placement in the file.  Unlike the $TTL values
          and $n substitutions, which may be both global and local  for  a
          given (subâ)dataset.

Thumbs up or thumbs down? ;-)

Jeff C.