Copyright: Copyright ® 1999 Extratools


Cache manager

Please note: Most users will not need to use the ExtraDNS cache manager, its intended to be used by advanced users with special requirements.

Using the cache manager you can change the actual DNS-Cache database of ExtraDNS. The text filed at the top of this page allows you to search directly for any entry in the database.  The list will show you machting entries. You can narrowe your search by setting a DNS-Type. If you leave the search field empty and select for DNS-Type "(any)" the ExtraDNS Cache Manager will list all entries which are currently in the cache.
In order to change the database contens you can select Add, Delete and Update.
Add and Update will send a request to the nameservers specified in the DNS-Servers list. Once it got an answer ExtraDNS will add or replace the existing entry in the database with new value. Delete will remove the selected entry.
 "Del all" will remove all entries in the database!


Configuartion
Configuration

The ExtraDNS set up program configures your TCP/IP settings and installs ExtraDNS ready to use. You may fine tune the system by adding your own DNS servers on the 'Server' page of the main window.
You can disable the cache and select the way ExtraDNS starts up on the 'System' page of the main window.
Windows 2000 users please note that you will have to manually configure your DNS server to be the localhost (127.0.0.1).


Contact

Problems? Questions? Comments?
Please contact us!

WWW

Please visit the ExtraTools web site at www.ExtraTools.com.

E-mail

Registered users can contact technical support at:
Support@ExtraTools.com

Please include your serial number to receive priority support.

Sales and product inquiries:
Info@ExtraTools.com

Feedback:
Comments@ExtraTools.com

Fax

U.S.A.	+1 (435) 302 0673
U.K.	+44 (84) 533 366 90
Germany	+49 (89) 921 852 76

Phone

U.S.A.	+1 (435) 302 0675
U.K.	+44 (84) 533 366 91
Germany	+49 (89) 921 852 76


Contents
ExtraDNS

Introduction

•	Introduction

Setup and installation

•	System requirements

•	Setup

•	Configuration

•	Name server

•	LAN installation

Using ExtraDNS

•	Statistics

•	Options

•	Log

•	Cache manager

•	System tray icon

•	Frequently asked questions

Updates

•	Updates

Contact

•	Contact

•	Technical support

Copyright notice

•	Copyright notice


Copyright notice

ExtraDNS and ExtraTools are (c) 1999/2000 by EURAF/EXTRATOOLS.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of EURAF/EXTRATOOLS.  The software described in this document is subject to the license agreement that is included with ExtraDNS. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form by any means for any purpose other the purchaser's personal use without express written permission of the author.


DNS
Domain Naming Service (DNS), an Internet protocol and distributed database. Provides the mapping between a numeric IP address (209.238.190.25) and a site or computer (www.extratools.com) name.


DNS Servers

you can configure the DNS servers you want to use on the 'Server' page of the main window.

Enable / Disable

You can deselect any of the name servers you have configured. ExtraDNS will no longer send DNS requests to servers that have been disabled. To disable a server, uncheck the mark on the left of the server entry in the list. Be sure to have at least one working DNS server enabled!

DNS Server IP number

This is the IP number of the DNS server. To add a new server, simply enter its IP number into an unused entry in the list.

DNS Server name

This is a descriptive name for a DNS server. You can enter any text in here.

Average reply time

This is the average reply time for each name server in milliseconds.

First hit rate

This indicates how fast a server responded. 100% means that this server was always the fastest to reply. 50% means that this server was the fastest to reply for half of all DNS requests made.

Status

This column indicates if a server replies at all. As long as replies are received from this server, OK will be shown.

Clear

Click the clear button to reset the statistics. The first hit rate will be set to 0% for all servers and the status will be reset.


DNS Types
List of DNS types

There are many different types of DNS requests specified in the TCP/IP protocol. The most common type ist "A" (Address), wich will request the IP Number of a domain name. Most of the other types are only used by some special system-administrating tools like 'nslookup' or 'traceroute'. ExtraDNS supports all types specified for TCP/IP.

Code	Description
A	Network address
NS	Authoritative name server
MD	Mail destination; now replaced by MX
MF	Mail forwarder; now replaced by MX
CNAME	Canonical alias name
SOA	Start of zone authority
MB	Mailbox domain name
MG	Mailbox member
MR	Mail rename domain
NULL	Null resource record
WKS	Well-known service
PTR	Pointer to a domain name
HINFO	Host information
MINFO	Mailbox information
MX	Mail exchange
TXT	Text strings
RP	Responisible person
AFSDB	AFS-type services
X.25	X.25 address
ISDN	ISDN address
RT	Route through


Frequently asked questions

How does ExtraDNS keep the cache up to date?

Whenever ExtraDNS serves a DNS request from cache, it will nevertheless send the same inquiry to a DNS server on the Internet. When the reply is different from the information in the database, the record will be updated.

Even for DNS requests that are not in the cache, replies are much faster, why?

ExtraDNS works smarter than the standard windows DNS resolver. ExtraDNS sends requests to up to 10 available DNS servers simultaneously and supplies the reply to the application from the first (and fastest) to answer. Windows 95 can only manage 2 nameserver and inquires these in sequence. Only when the first nameserver times out, the request will be sent to the second.

Is it difficult to configure ExtraDNS?

No, unless you have specific requirements, no manual configuration is required. Simply install ExtraDNS using the setup program and your system will be re configured automatically.

I cannot access ExtraDNS on our LAN server.

The single user version accepts only DNS requests from the local machine. Requests that arrive from other PC´s on the LAN will not be accepted. Please buy a ExtraDNS LAN license to enable shared LAN access.

Can I use ExtraDNS on a LAN together with Wingate, Winroute, Sygate or any other proxy or router software?

Yes. Please disable DNS forwarding in your router or proxy system. Then install ExtraDNS as explained in the LAN installation section of this document.

I think my cache database is out of date, can I reset it.

ExtraDNS automatically keeps your database up to date. At start up, the database is checked for consistency and the the indexes are verified. If you want to reset your database and start with a fresh copy then open the Cache Manager and select "Del all"

What are the differences between the trial and the licensed version?

The trial version is a full featured LAN-Version, but will only work for 30 days.

What is the difference between the single user and the network versions?

The network version accepts DNS requests from other PC´s on the LAN. A single copy of ExtraDNS can serve all users on the LAN using the same cache database.

Is there a limit to the number of entries in the cache database?

No, the only limitation is available disk space.


FTP
Internet File Transfer Protocol


Introduction

What is ExtraDNS?

ExtraDNS accelerates your Internet connection by caching DNS requests.

Whenever you access a page on the world wide web, fetch your E-mail, request a file via FTP or access any other resource on the Internet, your computer will have to find out the IP number that corresponds to the address of the site you want to access. Each request needs to be sent to your DNS server across your Internet link. Depending on the speed of your connection, other line activity and DNS server load it may take several seconds before a reply is being received. It is but after this reply that your application can actually start loading the requested data. When a web page is being loaded, DNS requests need to be sent for each additional screen element that are part of the page (images, banners etc.) .

What is ExtraDNS doing?

ExtraDNS intercepts DNS requests and stores replies in a fast indexed database. The next time your systems needs to resolve the same address, ExtraDNS instantly supplies the reply from its database. There are no more delays when loading a Web page or accessing your mail server.
In addition, ExtraDNS overcomes the limitations of the windows operating system and can manage up to 10 different nameserver.

How does ExtraDNS work?

ExtraDNS tells your system to request DNS information from the ExtraDNS application rather then sending requests out to the Internet.
When ExtraDNS receives a request two cases may happen:

1	The answer was found in the database

- ExtraDNS will send the requested information instantly to the application.
- Nevertheless the request will be send to the Internet DNS server.
- Once a reply is received, ExtraDNS will compare the answer with the information
  in its database, and update any records if required.
  This assures that the cache database is always up to date, and you will not receive
  outdated information from the cache.

1	No matching entry is found in the database

- ExtraDNS will send the request to all available DNS servers that are configured.
  ExtraDNS will inquire all servers simultaneously. This will result in a much faster
  reply compared to the standard windows system where requests are send to the
  next server only when the previous did not reply.
- Your application will receive the response from the first server to respond.
- ExtraDNS will add the information to its database.

For more information about the way ExtraDNS works, please also read see the Frequently asked questions section of this document.


IP number
An IP number is a unique identifying number for each computer on the Internet or local area network.


LAN
Local Area Network


LAN Installation

You can use the LAN version of ExtraDNS as a centralized DNS server and cache on your LAN. Please note that the LAN feature is disabled on the trial version of ExtraDNS.

LAN server installation

Install ExtraDNS on the server that will provide DNS servers to all the clients on the LAN. You can install ExtraDNS on any PC on the LAN but it is suggested to use the PC that is connected to the Internet or your router.

LAN workstation installation

On each workstation, you will have to change the DNS configuration in the windows network configuration. You do not need to install ExtraDNS itself on any workstation.
- Ask the network administrator about the IP number of the server that runs ExtraDNS
- Open the windows network configuration from the system window
- Select the TCP/IP network settings
- Remove all DNS servers from the list
- Add the IP number of the server that runs ExtraDNS as the only DNS server


License agreement

•	You may

-use the Software on any single computer;
-use the Software on a network, provided that each person accessing the Software through the network must have a copy licensed to that person;
-use the Software on a second computer so long as only one copy is used at a time;
-copy the Software for archival purposes

•	You may not:

- permit other individuals to use the Software except under the terms listed above;
- permit concurrent use of the Software;
- modify, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble  or create derivative works based on the Software;
- copy the Software other than as specified above;
- rent, lease, grant a security interest in, or otherwise transfer rights to the Software;
- remove any proprietary notices or labels on the Software.

Title, ownership rights, and intellectual property rights in the Software shall remain with the author. The Software is protected by the copyright laws and treaties. Title and related rights in the content accessed through the Software is the property of the applicable content owner and may be protected by applicable law. This License gives you no rights to such content.


Log

All system activity is visible in the system log window.
Depend on your Log-Configuration you may see these log events:

System start up

ExtraDNS started. All available DNS servers are listed.

DNS request

A DNS request has been sent.

DNS answer from cache

A DNS request has been answered from the cache.

Cached disabled

The cache has been disabled manually.

TCP Connection requested

A program has requested a TCP connection through the DNS Port.

Clear

Click the clear button to erase the log window.


Log config window
Log Configuration

You can configure the settings for the ExtraDNS log window.

Level of detail

Low, Medium or High. Low detail will only show DNS requests, Medium shows requests and answers and High will also include the type of the request.

Time / Date

ExtraDNS will display current time and/or the date to each log event.

Logfile

If you choose a file here, ExtraDNS will write log events to this file.


Options

Start up in system tray

At start up ExtraDNS the user interface will not be visible. An icon will be installed in the windows system tray.

Disable cache

Caching will be disabled and all DNS requests will be served from the Internet.


Product updates

Current version

Your current version of ExtraDNS is shown on the 'About' page of the main ExtraDNS window.

Auto update

To check if there is a new version of ExtraDNS open the 'About' page of the ExtraDNS windows then click the 'Update' button. ExtraDNS will check for any available update and suggest to upload new versions.

Program upgrade

If you are useing a limited but registered version of ExtraDNS (Single-User Version) and want to upgrade the program, then open 'About' page and click on 'Upgrade'. You have to enter your name and your new key. If you can not find the 'Upgrade' button you already have a non limited version of ExtraDNS.

ExtraTools web site

You can also check for updates on the ExtraTools web site at www.ExtraTools.com.


Registration

Activation key

When you buy a license of ExtraDNS, you will receive your personal activation key. The key will fully enable the application and remove any restrictions.
To activate your license:
- select the about page on the ExtraDNS screen
- click the 'Register' button
- enter your name and activation key exactly as you received it
- click OK

Pricing information

Please visit our web site at www.ExtraTools.com for current pricing information.

Order on line

You can order ExtraDNS on line using secure shopping on the ExtraTools web site at www.ExtraTools.com. On line orders receive activation keys instantly.

Order by phone, mail, fax or purchase order

You can also place your order for ExtraDNS by E-mail, fax or mail. Qualified organizations may also buy ExtraDNS with a purchase order. Please visit our web site at www.extratools.com for details or contact us directly.


Setup

Installation

•	CD-ROM

Simply insert the CD-ROM into your drive and the setup program will start automatically. You can also run DNSSETUP.EXE from the root directory on your CD-ROM drive.

•	Internet Download

You can download ExtraDNS from the Internet at www.extratools.com. Download DNSSETUP.EXE from our Web or FTP server and save the file into a temporary folder on your disk. Run DNSSETUP.EXE to install the application.

•	Options

The setup program will copy all required files to your hard disk and configure your system. You will be given the possibility to select a destination directory and to create backup copies of previous version files. You will have to restart your system once the setup program finished to enable the new settings.

Uninstall

To remove ExtraDNS from your computer, select 'Uninstall ExtraDNS' from the ExtraTools section in the windows start menu. You can also use open 'software' in the windows control panel to remove ExtraDNS from your computer.


Statistics

The statistics section of the system page, displays information about the current DNS activity and cache activity on your system. The display is automatically updated.

Cache

This is the percentage of requests that have been served from the cache.

DNS server

This is the percentage of requests that have not been found in the database and have been served from a DNS server on the Internet.

Lost or not answered

This is the percentage of requests that where not found in the cache and did not receive an answer. Usually this happens only for bad  network addresses, when you are not connected to the Internet or when your DNS servers are down.

Reset

This will reset all statistics.


System requirements

Minimum system:

- Intel 486-33 equipped personal computer
- Windows 95
- 8MB memory
- LAN or dial-up TCP/IP connection to the Internet
- Winsock Version 2.00 or higher

Suggested system

- Intel Pentium-100 equipped personal computer
- Windows 95
- 16MB memory
- LAN or dial-up TCP/IP connection to the Internet

Supported operating systems

- Windows 95
- Windows 98
- Windows NT 4
- Windows 2000


System tray icon

Tray icon

During normal operation, ExtraDNS will remain invisible except for a small icon in the windows system tray. To bring up the ExtraDNS user interface, double click the icon, or open the menu with your right mouse button.

Hide

To hide the ExtraDNS user interface, click the hide button on the main screen.


Technical Support

Did you check?

Have you checked the following topics:
Product updates
Frequently asked questions
before contacting technical support?

Contact support

Registered users can access technical support for ExtraDNS via E-mail at support@extratools.com.
Please be sure to include the following items when contacting ExtraTools for technical support:
- Version of ExtraDNS that you are using (see About page on the main screen)
- Your full name as stated upon registration
- A brief and specific description of your problem or request. Lengthy or complicated descriptions take more time to analyze and will usually require additional time to respond -- please be patient.


Test DNS Servers

Here you can do some simple diagnostics with DNS-Servers. Just specify a nameserver at the top of this window and hit the start button. ExtraDNS will send a request to this nameserver for the specified domainname and will start a simple ping. Once we got an answer ExtraDNS will display the answer time. The difference between the ping time and the response time gives you an  indication of the server load and lookup speed.