POKE_NS(1)			   06:53:21			    POKE_NS(1)



NAME
       poke_ns - send signals to a running nameserver

SYNOPSIS
       poke_ns poke_ns [ restart | reload | debug | nodebug | dump | terminate
       ]

DESCRIPTION
       poke_ns sends process control signals to  a  running  bind  nameserver.
       Without any options poke-ns emits a help message.

OPTIONS
       restart:
	      Terminates the running nameserver by the sending the TERM signal
	      and restarts the nameserver.

       reload:
	      Send the HUP signal to the running nameserver which instructs it
	      to reload all its zone files.

       debug: Sends the USR1 signal to the nameserver which causes it to write
	      debugging output to the named_run file.  The named_run  file  is
	      created in the /var/tmp directory with a version 4 nameserver or
	      in current directory  with  a  version  8  nameserver.   Sending
	      another USR1 signal increases the level of debugging output.

       nodebug:
	      Turn  off  debugging output by sending the SIGUSR2 signal to the
	      running nameserver.

       dump:  Sends the INT signal which causes the nameserver to dump a  copy
	      of its internal database files to the named_dump.db file.

       terminate:
	      Sends  the  TERM	signal	which causes the running nameserver to
	      terminate.

Configuration File
       poke_ns uses a simple  environment  file  which	sets  various  default
       parameters.   Parameters  are  set using a parameter=value syntax.  The
       environment file is  normally  located  in  /usr/local/etc/poke_ns.env.
       Parameters settable in this file are:

       DB_DUMP:
	      Pathname	of  the  database  dump  file.	DEBUG: Pathname of the
	      debug output file.

       NAMED: Pathname of the nameserver executable to use when restarting the
	      server.

       PIDFILE:
	      Pathname	of  the file which contains the process id of the run
	      ning nameserver.

       The environment file is checked to be sure it is only writable by root,
       since  poke_ns  is  normally setuid root and only executable by a group
       responsible for nameserver maintenance.

SEE ALSO
       gendns(1), genstatic(1), updatehosts(1)



4th Berkeley Distribution	    $Date:			    POKE_NS(1)