Re: [dnsext] bitmap inference was Re: ... - NXDOMAIN for emptynon-terminals

[Edward Lewis <[e-mail]>]

At 13:39 +0200 3/30/11, Jelte Jansen wrote:

>as with another example you used in a previous discussion, it would seem
>you are arguing for not doing negative caching at all (i.e. if an A
>record is queried, does not exist, is then added, and queried again it
>would show the same behavior as when you ask for a different type and
>derive data from the nsec bitmap). Taking that further, what if
>something is removed between t=0 and t=5, should we also not do positive
>caching? :)

Caching is a pain, it complicates the work at the authority server. 
Without caching we wouldn't need the complicated key rollovers and 
such.  However, caching is an integral part of the DNS protocol. Not 
to say we are stuck with it, it also boosts performance and lets the 
system achieve the stated goals of scaling, reliability, low latency.

I'm not advocating the removal of caching.  I'm advocating the status 
quo.  With caching being good and bad, the optimum position is a 
balance.  If we push it in one direction too far, pressure is put on 
other parts of the architecture.

If changing caching improved the lot of a authority servers, I'd be 
for it.  Change is good too, but it's not free of concerns.

>IMO whether or not aggressive caching should be done or allowed, giving
>different answers where one would expect the same (i.e. different NSECs
>depending on the qtype, in this case) makes me slightly nauseous :p But
>that is probably not much of a protocol qualification.

It's going to happen.  Even if we throw out the "tailored responses" 
issue, there's the element of time.  Although the DNS protocol does 
not integrate time into the data model, there's the real world that 
does.  Zones get updated and reloaded, so a cache will have to deal 
with inconsistent NSEC/3 bitmaps.

-- 
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Edward Lewis
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