Name server problems in Ultrix 4.0

[Andy Hazeltine]

I have noticed some strange behavior with the Ultrix 4.0 named.  Our
internal network is not connected to the Internet so we run our own
root servers.  The primary and secondary servers are all vaxen running
Ultrix.  Recently one of the secondary servers was upgraded to Ultrix
4.0.   When this server is queried for the list of name servers, it
returns the correct list of servers but it lists multiple copies of the
addresses for the servers.

Here is an example. Ge-dab.ge.com, atlast.dab.ge.com, and puma.atl.ge.com
are running Ultrix 3.1 and Bind 4.8.3.  Sunblossom.ge.com is running
Ultrix 4.0 and the 4.0 named. Ge-dab is the primary server.

Here is the response from nslookup using sunblossom (4.0) as the server:
Note the multiple addresses and the incorrect address for ge-dab.

     > set querytype=ns
     > .
     Server:  sunblossom.GE.COM
     Address:  3.2.4.20
     Aliases:  sunblossom.DAB.GE.COM
     
     (root)  nameserver = atlast.DAB.GE.COM
     (root)  nameserver = puma.ATL.GE.COM
     (root)  nameserver = sunblossom.GE.COM
     (root)  nameserver = ge-dab.GE.COM
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 192.35.21.160
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.83
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 192.35.21.160
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.83
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 192.35.21.160
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.83
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 192.35.21.160
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.83
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 192.35.21.160
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.83
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 192.35.21.160
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.83
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 192.35.21.160
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.83
     puma.ATL.GE.COM internet address = 129.203.1.22
     puma.ATL.GE.COM internet address = 129.203.1.22
     puma.ATL.GE.COM internet address = 129.203.1.22
     puma.ATL.GE.COM internet address = 129.203.1.22
     sunblossom.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.20
     sunblossom.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.20
     sunblossom.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.20
     sunblossom.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.20
     sunblossom.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.20
     sunblossom.GE.COM       internet address = 3.2.4.20
     ge-dab.GE.COM   internet address = 3.17.4.0
     >
     
Here is the correct response using atlast as the server:
Note all of the other servers give the correct response.

     > set q=ns
     > .
     Server:  atlast.DAB.GE.COM
     Address:  3.2.4.83
     
     (root)  nameserver = ge-dab.GE.COM
     (root)  nameserver = sunblossom.GE.COM
     (root)  nameserver = puma.ATL.GE.COM
     (root)  nameserver = atlast.DAB.GE.COM
     ge-dab.GE.COM   inet address = 3.2.4.11
     ge-dab.GE.COM   inet address = 3.5.4.10
     ge-dab.GE.COM   inet address = 192.35.21.11
     ge-dab.GE.COM   inet address = 3.17.4.11
     sunblossom.GE.COM       inet address = 3.2.4.20
     puma.ATL.GE.COM inet address = 129.203.1.22
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       inet address = 3.2.4.83
     atlast.DAB.GE.COM       inet address = 192.35.21.160

Does anyone have any ideas why the Ultrix 4.0 server acts like
this?

--
Andy Hazeltine
andy at ge-dab.ge.com, hazeltin at crdgw1.ge.com