Typically how long does a DNS zone transfer take?

[#1]

Hi expert,

As per title.
Master and Slave both are using Infoblox in different region, transfer been started since 16 Aug - 20 Aug, however the transfer is still continuosly, may refer sylogs below for the last message has capture.

Other than syslogs, any method can verify the zone transfer status?

2021-08-20T12:02:03+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info transfer of 'global.com/IN' from 156.200.31.21#53: Transfer status: success
2021-08-20T12:02:03+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info transfer of 'global.com/IN' from 156.200.31.21#53: Transfer completed: 1 messages, 11 records, 426 bytes, 0.030 secs (14200 bytes/sec)
2021-08-20T12:02:09+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info client @0x7ff2640f9770 156.200.31.21#51984: received notify for zone 'global.com'
2021-08-20T12:02:09+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info zone global.com/IN: notify from 156.200.31.21#51984: serial 596561509
2021-08-20T12:02:09+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info zone global.com/IN: Transfer started.
2021-08-20T12:02:09+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info transfer of 'global.com/IN' from 156.200.31.21#53: connected using 43.74.1.31#38151
2021-08-20T12:02:09+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info zone global.com/IN: transferred serial 596561509
2021-08-20T12:02:09+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info transfer of 'global.com/IN' from 156.200.31.21#53: Transfer status: success
2021-08-20T12:02:09+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info transfer of 'global.com/IN' from 156.200.31.21#53: Transfer completed: 1 messages, 18 records, 661 bytes, 0.015 secs (44066 bytes/sec)
2021-08-20T12:02:13+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info client @0x7ff2640f9770 156.200.31.21#51984: received notify for zone 'global.com'
2021-08-20T12:02:13+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info zone global.com/IN: notify from 156.200.31.21#51984: serial 596561511
2021-08-20T12:02:13+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info zone global.com/IN: Transfer started.
2021-08-20T12:02:13+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info transfer of 'global.com/IN' from 156.200.31.21#53: connected using 43.74.1.31#34201
2021-08-20T12:02:13+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info zone global.com/IN: transferred serial 596561511
2021-08-20T12:02:13+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info transfer of 'global.com/IN' from 156.200.31.21#53: Transfer status: success
2021-08-20T12:02:13+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info transfer of 'global.com/IN' from 156.200.31.21#53: Transfer completed: 1 messages, 11 records, 463 bytes, 0.011 secs (42090 bytes/sec)
2021-08-20T12:02:18+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info client @0x7ff2640f9770 156.200.31.21#51984: received notify for zone 'global.com'
2021-08-20T12:02:18+08:00 daemon myglobaldns01.global.com named[4204]: info zone global.com/IN: notify from 156.200.31.21#51984: zone is up to date

Many thanks.

[#2 · Accepted solution]

This is working normally, your secondary is doing incremental zone transfers, it is just transferring the individual records as they change, on a busy zone you will see a constant stream of zone transfers, this is quite normal.

[#3]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the explanation.

Understand if the zone transfers complete can check from syslog, but is there any command can check the transfer status for the particular zone is completed? Was tried open the zone from GUI see the records is hang, loading about 5 mins for next page.

[#4]

Easiest way is to check the SOA record on each server and compare the serial number.

[#5]

Hi Paul,

If the both server serial number is tally meaning the zone transfer has completed?

Example:

Master serial = 2014123581

Slave serial = 2014123581

Is this mean the zone transfer is finished the transfer?

[#6]

yes

[#7]

Alright, thanks alot. Will check from the serial to confirm that.