NSD does not generate DNSSEC keys or sign zones itself. To enable DNSSEC, have a separate signer create and maintain the signed zone, point NSD at that signed file, validate it with nsd-checkzone, reload NSD, and publish the matching DS record at the parent. NSD automatically serves DNSSEC data when the configured zone contains valid signatures; there is no dnssec-enable setting to add.
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Understand what NSD does—and what it does not do
NSD is an authoritative-only DNS server. Its job is to load zone data and answer queries for that data; it is not a complete DNSSEC signing service. Installing NSD does not create keys, calculate signatures, refresh expiring signatures, or perform key rollover.
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DNSSEC becomes active for an NSD zone when the zone file that NSD serves already contains DNSSEC records. The NLnet Labs configuration model states that “For NSD, DNSSEC is enabled automatically for zones that are signed.” In practical terms, NSD does not need a DNSSEC feature switch. It simply serves the DNSKEY, RRSIG, and authenticated-denial records produced by your chosen signer along with the ordinary records in the zone.
The signer therefore owns the security lifecycle:
- Generating and protecting signing keys.
- Producing DNSKEY, RRSIG, and authenticated-denial records.
- Scheduling key activation and retirement.
- Refreshing signatures before they expire.
- Incrementing the SOA serial when a new version is published.
- Coordinating key rollover and any parent DS change.
NSD’s configuration should point only to the generated, signed output. Keep the unsigned source zone separate so an operational mistake cannot cause an unsigned file to be loaded accidentally.
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Plan the files, signer, and trust chain first
Separate unsigned input from signed output
Choose two controlled locations: one for the human-maintained unsigned zone and another for the signer’s generated signed zone. The unsigned file is where you edit A, AAAA, MX, CNAME, NS, SOA, and other service records. The signed file is an artifact that NSD reads. Restrict write access to the signed directory and make the publication step explicit in your change procedure.
This separation matters during troubleshooting and rollback. You can inspect the source data without confusing it with generated DNSKEY and RRSIG records, and you can restore a previous signed version if a signing run produces an invalid file.
Choose how signing will be operated
NSD does not prescribe a particular external signer or DNS management system. Before committing to one, compare the operational features that affect an authoritative deployment:
| Decision area | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Key rollover | Whether activation, retirement, and rollover stages are automated and observable. |
| Private-key storage | Where private keys live, who can access them, and how backups are protected. |
| Signature timing | How validity periods, refresh intervals, clock assumptions, and emergency resigning are controlled. |
| Parent coordination | Whether the workflow can produce CDS/CDNSKEY information or otherwise guide DS publication. |
| File publication | How unsigned input is transformed into signed output and how an atomic or otherwise safe handoff is made. |
| Auditability | Whether key changes, signing runs, failures, and publications are logged. |
| Secondary compatibility | Whether the resulting zone and update process fit your AXFR/IXFR, notification, and transfer design. |
| Recovery | How to recover from an expired signature, lost key material, failed rollover, or invalid generated file. |
Build a valid unsigned zone
A minimal authoritative zone needs exactly one SOA record and at least one NS record. The SOA serial is the publication version: increment it for every change that should be visible to secondaries and caches. Add the records required by the service, such as A, AAAA, MX, and CNAME records, before signing.
Do not treat the signed file as an editing scratchpad. Generated DNSSEC records are managed by the signer and may be replaced on the next signing run.
Generate the signed zone outside NSD
Run the signer against the approved unsigned source. A successful run should produce the zone data plus the DNSKEY records for the zone, RRSIG records covering the signed record sets, and the authenticated-denial records required by the signer’s selected DNSSEC mode.
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The signer must also understand time. It needs to know when a key becomes active, when signatures need refreshing, and when an old key can be retired. A zone can appear correctly signed immediately after publication and still fail later if signatures expire or a rollover is left incomplete. Treat the signer’s scheduler, logs, and key database as production infrastructure rather than as a one-time conversion tool.
Before publication, check that the generated SOA serial is the serial you intended to release. During a routine record change, that normally means the unsigned source was updated, the serial was incremented, and the signer carried that serial into the signed output. During a rollover, also verify that the expected old and new DNSKEY records are present for the overlap period defined by your signer’s procedure.
Point NSD at the signed zone file
Add a zone: stanza to nsd.conf for each authoritative zone. The name: field is required. Set zonefile: to the generated signed file, not to the unsigned source:
zone:
name: example.com
zonefile: /etc/nsd/example.com.signedThe path is an example; package layouts and service users differ by operating system. What matters is that the NSD process can read the signed file and that your deployment process writes the signer’s output to the same controlled location, or moves it there safely.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteDo not add a BIND-style dnssec-enable option. NSD’s behavior is determined by the contents of the zone file. Adding an unsupported or irrelevant option can prevent configuration validation and does not make an unsigned zone secure.
If you serve several zones, give every zone its own stanza and signed output path. Avoid ambiguous symlinks or filenames that make it unclear which file is currently published; an operator should be able to identify the exact artifact from the configuration and the deployment log.
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Validate the signed file before NSD loads it
Run the NSD zone checker against the exact file named by zonefile::
nsd-checkzone example.com /etc/nsd/example.com.signednsd-checkzone reads the zone, reports errors, and exits with a nonzero status when validation fails. Make this command a required gate in the publication process. Never reload NSD merely because the signer completed; a generated file can still contain a syntax error, an invalid record, or an unintended serial.
After the checker succeeds, inspect the output as an operational review rather than relying only on the exit status:
- Confirm the SOA serial is the version you intended to publish.
- Confirm DNSKEY records are present for the active signing keys.
- Confirm RRSIG records cover the record sets that should be signed.
- Confirm authenticated-denial records are present according to the signer’s design.
- Confirm the zone name and NS records are the intended delegation.
If validation fails, leave the currently served signed file in place, correct the unsigned source or signer configuration, generate a new artifact, and run the check again. Do not “fix” a generated file by hand unless your signer’s documented workflow explicitly supports that action; manual edits are likely to be overwritten or to invalidate the signer’s state.
Reload NSD safely
Use remote control only when you need it
NSD’s remote-control interface is disabled by default. If you enable it, generate its TLS material with:
nsd-control-setupThen enable the remote-control: clause in the NSD configuration. Keep control-interface bound to localhost unless remote administration is an explicit requirement. The interface uses TLS and generated keys and certificates; protect those files and limit access to the operators who need control functions.
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Choose the reload path provided by your operating system
For a signed-file change, use the service manager integration supplied by your NSD package or the documented NSD control path. Exact service commands vary by operating system, so do not copy a command from one distribution into another without checking how that package manages NSD. The essential sequence is the same:
- Generate the signed zone from the approved unsigned source.
- Run
nsd-checkzoneand stop if it returns a failure. - Verify the signed file’s permissions and intended SOA serial.
- Reload NSD through the local service or control mechanism.
- Query the authoritative server directly and confirm that it serves the new serial and DNSSEC records.
A reload does not repair a bad signing schedule. If a signature is already expired, publish a newly signed zone first; then reload the valid artifact. Keep the old valid artifact available until the new one has been checked and observed in service.
Verify what is actually being served
Query the authoritative address directly rather than testing only through a recursive resolver that may still hold cached data. Check the SOA serial, DNSKEY response, and representative records with DNSSEC data requested. A typical diagnostic sequence uses a DNS query tool such as dig:
dig @AUTHORITATIVE_SERVER example.com SOA +dnssec
dig @AUTHORITATIVE_SERVER example.com DNSKEY +dnssec
dig @AUTHORITATIVE_SERVER www.example.com A +dnssecReplace AUTHORITATIVE_SERVER with the address of the NSD instance you are testing. The SOA serial returned by the server must match the file you meant to publish. The DNSKEY response should contain the active child keys, and the answer for a signed record should include its RRSIG data. Test every authoritative server, not just the first one listed in the delegation.
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Publish the parent DS record and complete the chain of trust
Signing the child zone is only one half of DNSSEC validation. The parent must publish a DS record that matches an active DNSKEY in the child. Derive the DS information from the child key produced by your signer, make sure that key is already being served by NSD, and submit the DS through the parent operator or registrar’s process.
Do not submit a DS for a key that is not active in the child. A parent DS that points to an absent or prematurely retired DNSKEY can make validating resolvers treat the delegation as broken. Conversely, removing a DS before the child-side rollover is complete can remove the chain of trust.
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The exact submission interface and propagation timing depend on the parent operator. After the parent publishes the DS, test from an independent validating resolver and confirm that the complete path—from the parent DS through the child DNSKEY to the RRSIG records—validates. Continue serving the child key during the overlap required by your rollover plan.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Configure secondaries separately
DNSSEC does not replace ordinary authoritative replication. For each secondary, configure notification and transfer permissions independently:
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Use a distinct, protected TSIG key arrangement for production transfers. Examples that use NOKEY are intended for testing and should not be copied into a live deployment. Confirm that secondaries receive the signed zone, retain the same SOA serial, and answer DNSKEY and RRSIG queries themselves. A secondary that serves an older signed serial can cause intermittent results even when the primary is correct.
When a signed zone is transferred, the DNSSEC records are zone data; the secondary does not need to sign the zone again. It must, however, be able to load and serve the signed file and must receive notifications and transfers through the permissions you configured.
Operate key timing, signatures, and serials as an ongoing process
Routine record changes
Make the record change in the unsigned source, increment the SOA serial, run the signer, validate the signed artifact, and reload NSD. Then verify the serial and signatures on every authoritative server. A change is not complete merely because the source file was edited.
Signature refresh
Schedule refreshes before signatures reach their expiry time. Monitor signer logs and publication results so a failed scheduled run cannot remain unnoticed until validators begin reporting expired signatures. Keep system clocks accurate; DNSSEC timing depends on consistent time interpretation.
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Key rollover
Follow the signer’s documented rollover sequence and maintain any required overlap between old and new keys. Coordinate the child’s DNSKEY publication with the parent DS change. Never remove the old DNSKEY or parent DS solely because a new key has been generated; retirement must occur after the rollover’s validation and propagation conditions are satisfied.
Recovery and rollback
Retain the last known-good signed artifact, signer configuration, and protected key material. If a new signing run fails validation, keep serving the previous valid file while you repair the process. If signatures expire or a rollover is interrupted, use the signer’s recovery procedure rather than deleting DNSKEY or RRSIG records manually. Record which SOA serial and key set are currently published so operators can make a deliberate recovery decision.
Troubleshooting common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| NSD serves ordinary records but no DNSKEY or RRSIG data | The configured file is unsigned, or NSD is reading a different path than the signer writes. | Inspect zonefile:, confirm the file contains DNSSEC records, run nsd-checkzone, reload, and query the authoritative server directly. |
nsd-checkzone returns a failure |
Syntax, record, signing, or generated-file problem. | Keep the current valid file in service, read the checker’s error, correct the source or signer workflow, regenerate, and validate again. |
| Validating resolvers report a broken delegation | The parent DS does not match an active child DNSKEY, or the child key was changed before the parent update. | Compare the published DS with the DNSKEY actually served by the child and follow the parent operator’s correction or rollover process. |
| Answers differ between authoritative servers | A secondary has not received the newest signed serial, or notification/transfer permissions are wrong. | Check notify:, provide-xfr:, TSIG authentication, transfer logs, and the SOA serial on every server. |
| The new file exists but responses remain old | NSD was not reloaded, or the query went to another authoritative server or a recursive cache. | Reload through the package’s service path, query each authoritative address directly, and compare returned serials. |
| Remote control commands fail | The remote-control clause is disabled, TLS material is missing, or the interface is not reachable. | Run nsd-control-setup as appropriate, verify the remote-control: configuration and certificate permissions, and keep the interface local unless remote access is required. |
| Signatures work after publication but fail later | Signature refresh or key-timing automation stopped, or the signer’s clock assumptions are wrong. | Inspect signer scheduling and logs, check system time, generate a refreshed zone, validate it, and publish before expiry. |
Publication checklist
- The unsigned source has exactly one SOA and at least one NS record.
- The SOA serial was incremented for the intended change.
- The signer generated DNSKEY, RRSIG, and authenticated-denial records.
- Private keys and signer state are protected and backed up according to your operational policy.
- The NSD
zone:stanza names the correct zone and points to the signed output. nsd-checkzonesucceeds for that exact path.- The served SOA serial, DNSKEY set, and representative RRSIG responses match the artifact.
- Every secondary has the same signed serial and authenticated transfer configuration.
- The parent DS corresponds to an active child DNSKEY.
- Monitoring covers signature refresh, key rollover, publication failures, and authoritative-server divergence.
With this model, NSD remains a predictable authoritative serving layer while the signer handles the cryptographic lifecycle. The critical controls are file separation, validation before reload, deliberate parent DS coordination, and continuous monitoring of signatures, keys, serials, and transfers.
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