LPIC-2 DNS, Web and Mail Services Practice Question
This LPIC-2 practice question tests your understanding of dns, web and mail services. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A BIND9 nameserver is configured with 'allow-transfer { none; };' but a secondary nameserver needs to receive zone transfers. What change must be made on the master?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set 'allow-transfer' to the secondary's IP.
The 'allow-transfer' directive on the master nameserver controls which hosts are permitted to request zone transfers (AXFR/IXFR). Setting it to 'none;' blocks all transfers, so to allow a secondary to receive the zone, you must explicitly list the secondary's IP address in the 'allow-transfer' statement on the master. This is the direct and necessary change to enable zone transfers to that specific slave.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Add a 'masters' statement in the slave's configuration.
Why it's wrong here
'masters' is a slave configuration parameter, not a change on the master.
✓
Set 'allow-transfer' to the secondary's IP.
Why this is correct
allow-transfer specifies which servers are allowed to request zone transfers.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Set 'notify' to yes.
Why it's wrong here
Notify controls whether the master sends NOTIFY messages, not whether transfers are allowed.
✗
Set 'also-notify' to the secondary IP.
Why it's wrong here
also-notify specifies additional servers to notify, but does not allow transfers.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the slave-side 'masters' directive or the notification mechanisms ('notify', 'also-notify') with the actual access control needed on the master to permit the zone transfer itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Zone transfers use TCP port 53 and follow RFC 5936 (AXFR) or RFC 1995 (IXFR). The master's 'allow-transfer' list is evaluated before any transfer data is sent; if the slave's IP is not in the list, the master responds with a REFUSED or NOTAUTH error. In a multi-master or hidden-master setup, you might combine 'allow-transfer' with TSIG keys for authenticated transfers, but the fundamental requirement remains that the master must explicitly permit the slave's IP or key.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
DNS, Web and Mail Services — This question tests DNS, Web and Mail Services — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Set 'allow-transfer' to the secondary's IP. — The 'allow-transfer' directive on the master nameserver controls which hosts are permitted to request zone transfers (AXFR/IXFR). Setting it to 'none;' blocks all transfers, so to allow a secondary to receive the zone, you must explicitly list the secondary's IP address in the 'allow-transfer' statement on the master. This is the direct and necessary change to enable zone transfers to that specific slave.
What should I do if I get this LPIC-2 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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