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

[Jeff Chan]

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.
-- 
Jeff Chan
mailto:jeffc at surbl.org
http://www.surbl.org/