Bulk host name formats provide a flexible way to define bulk host names. You create multiple bulk host formats at the Grid level. Either select from the default bulk host formats or create your own. You can specify a different format for each bulk host. When you assign a bulk host name format to a bulk host in a zone, the system applies the zone's host name policy to it.
A bulk host name consists of a prefix, a suffix, and the name of the domain to which the host belongs. The prefix can contain any printable character that complies with the zone host name policy. It can also be blank. The suffix is derived from an IP address in the bulk host IP address range. The appliance also supports IDNs for bulk host names. You can use IDNs or their punycode representations while creating bulk hosts.
The following table summarizes how the appliance displays bulk host names that contain IDNs:
Input | NIOS Displays... | NIOS DNS Domain (Punycode in the GUI) | Conversion Guidelines |
|---|---|---|---|
hello | hello | hello | No conversion |
прывітанне | прывітанне | xn--80adk5aaihr3f9e | IDN to punycode |
xn--80adk5aaihr3f9e | xn--80adk5aaihr3f9e | xn--80adk5aaihr3f9e | No conversion |
\xyz format | \xyz format | \xyz format | No conversion |
The suffix format is a string of ASCII characters that uses $ (unpadded) or # (zero-padded) followed by 1,2,3,4 to refer to the first, second, third, or fourth IP address octet; it uses $1,$2,$3,$4 or #1,#2,#3,#4. $2 refers to the second unpadded octet and #4 refers to the fourth zero-padded octet. For example:
The prefix of a bulk host = info IP address = 10.19.32.133 Domain name = infoblox.com.
If you specify the default four-octet format $1$2-$3-$4, the bulk host name is
info-10-19-23-133.infoblox.com.
If you specify a custom name format such as #1#2*#3*#4, the bulk host name is
info*010*019*023*133.infoblox.com.
Before Defining Bulk Host Name Formats
Before you specify a bulk host name format, ensure that it complies with the following rules:
The NIOS appliance uses <prefix>-xx-xx-xx-xx for bulk hosts. Ensure that the bulk host name does not conflict with CNAMEs, DNAMEs, or host name aliases.
When you add a bulk host, if you enable the Automatically add reverse mapping option and there is a CNAME record in the corresponding reverse zone that conflicts with a PTR record generated by the bulk host, the bulk host insertion fails and an error message appears. For example, if there is a CNAME with the alias 15 in a reverse zone 1.168.192.in-addr.arpa and if you add a bulk host foo/192.168.1.10/192.168.1.20 with the Automatically add reverse mapping option selected, the insertion fails and an error message appears because both the bulk host and the CNAME generate a record 15.1.168.192.in-addr.arpa in the reverse zone.
You cannot create or change a bulk host if a zone is locked by another user. If you select a different template for the Grid, it changes each record associated with the bulk host.
You can define bulk host name formats only at the Grid level and override them at the bulk host level; not at the zone or bulk host object level.
When you upgrade to NIOS 4.3r3 or earlier releases, the system migrates existing bulk hosts as follows:
If you did not customize the bulk host IP format, there is no action required. All migrated bulk hosts continue to use the Grid-level default four-octet format $1$2-$3-$4.
If you customized the bulk host IP format, the system creates a new template called Migrated Default template. All migrated bulk hosts override the Grid default template and use the Migrated Default template.
Note
The NIOS appliance considers two bulk hosts that have the same prefix, start address, and end address as duplicate hosts; even if they use different bulk host formats.
Bulk Host Name Format Rules
The below table describes the rules that you should follow when you create bulk host name formats. It also provides examples of valid and invalid formats for each rule.
Bulk Host Name Format Rules and Examples
Rule | Example |
The suffix format cannot have more than four octets. |
|
The octets must be in order. | -$2-$3-$4 is valid but -$3-$2-$4 is invalid. |
Do not skip octets. | -$2-$3-$4 is valid but -$2-$4 is invalid. |
Do not use a combination of both the | -$2-#3-$4 is invalid. |
The suffix format must contain at least the fourth octet. You must define at least one -$4 or #4. |
|
If the suffix format uses $ references, it cannot be preceded by a digit. You must add a non-digit prefix to each $ or # reference. | -$2-$3-$4 |
The \ character is the designated escape character for the $, # and \ characters. | For the IP address 10.19.32.133, the format #-#1-#2-#3-#4 expands to #-010-019-032-133. |
The bulk host name format must comply with its zone host name policy. | You cannot insert a bulk host name format -?-$4 in a zone that uses Allow Underscore as host name policy because the policy does not allow you to use the ? character in the host name. |
The bulk host name must comply with the maximum label length. | The sum of the bulk host name prefix and suffix cannot be greater than 63 characters. When you enter a suffix format, the NIOS appliance determines the length of the longest bulk host defined, and checks that the sum of the bulk host prefix and suffix length does not exceed 63 characters; if it does, an error message appears. |
The bulk host name cannot result in an FQDN with more than 255 characters. | |
The NIOS appliance computes the maximum length of the bulk host suffix by expanding the bulk host IP format using 255.255.255.255. | For the format string -$1-$2-$3-$4, the maximum length of the suffix is -255-255-255-255; that is, 16 characters. Therefore, the maximum length of the host prefix is 47 characters. |
The bulk host name must not be the same as a CNAME/DNAME. | If there is a CNAME record with alias foo-003-015, you cannot insert a bulk host foo/1.2.3.10/1.2.3.20 using template |
Each host name in the bulk host must be unique. | You cannot insert a bulk host foo/1.2.3.10/1.2.4.20 using the template |
You cannot insert a bulk host that violates the uniqueness of two bulk hosts that have the same prefix and use the same name format. | If there is a bulk host foo/1.2.3.10/1.2.4.20 using the template |
The appliance provides four predefined formats. You can define additional formats or change the default format at the Grid level only. To define new bulk host name formats:
From the Data Management tab, select the DNS tab, expand the Toolbar and click Grid DNS Properties.
Select the Host Naming tab of the Grid DNS Properties editor.
The Bulk Host Name Formats table displays four predefined name suffix formats. The following examples show the host name that each format generates for the zone test.com:
Four Octets: $1-$2-$3-$4 (Default)—Generates foo-192-168-1-15.test.com. Three Octets: $2$3-$4—Generates foo-168-1-15.test.com
Two Octets: -$3-$4—Generates foo-1-15.test.com One Octet: -$4—Generates foo-15.test.com
For the IP address 10.100.0.10, the format -$1$2-$3-$4 generates the host name suffix 10-100-0-10 . The format #1#2-#3-#4 generates the host name suffix -010-100-000-010.Click Add to enter the name and format of a new bulk host name format.
Optionally, click the Default column of a format and select Default to make it the Grid default.
Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.