JH Software News

Simple DNS Plus v. 5.1 build 121 released

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:52:00 GMT

Simple DNS Plus v. 5.1 build 121 is now available at http://www.simpledns.com/download.aspx

For details on the updates and changes in this build, please see release notes.

This is NOT a critical update.
We recommend that all users update to this build, but there is no urgency unless you are directly affected by the issues addressed by this update.

CYBERsitter plug-in for Simple DNS Plus

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:59:00 GMT

In a special partnership with Solid Oak Software, we are proud to announce the CYBERsitter plug-in for Simple DNS Plus.

This plug-in provides a simple and effective way to protect your entire network from objectionable and malicious web-site content. You can choose any combination of a number of different list categories (adult, malicious, chat, etc.), and automatically prevent users on your local network from accessing listed web-sites.

Solid Oak Software, the company behind the popular CYBERsitter desktop product - and now this plug-in, has more experience in this type of content management than anyone on the planet. They have been maintaining lists and refining their data collection for almost 14 years.

Simple DNS Plus and CYBERsitter lists is the perfect combination for protecting networked PCs and devices in businesses, educational institutions as well as home networks. It eliminates the need to install or maintain protection software on individual computers and it works with Windows/Linux PC's, Macs, and any other type of networked device. And the CYBERsitter List Updater software automatically ensures that lists are always kept up to date.

For more information and to download a free trial visit www.CYBERsitterLists.com

For technical details about this plug-in see KB1255

Scheduler Plug-In / Limit client caching time option

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:23:00 GMT

Simple DNS Plus v. 5.1 build 118 is now available at http://www.simpledns.com/download.aspx

This build includes a new "Scheduler" plug-in used to control when (during what time periods) Simple DNS Plus will query other plug-in instances or not.
This can be used to temporarily suspend/enable other plug-ins that are only needed/wanted at specific times. For example to skip blacklists during lunch breaks and non-working hours. For more details see KB1257

This build also includes a new "Limit client cache time" option (Options dialog / DNS / Miscellaneous section).
Recent Windows versions have a "DNS Client" service (enabled by default) which caches DNS records locally. Other operating systems and devices have similar features.
This new "Limit client cache time" option can be used to limit the time that client computers/devices cache the DNS records provided by Simple DNS Plus by setting a maximum TTL (time to live) value for DNS records in responses to these clients.
This is independent from the length of time that Simple DNS Plus might itself cache the same DNS records and only takes effect for clients requesting recursion (not other DNS servers) and only for clients with IP addresses in the "Perform recursion for" list.
Limiting client caching time is useful when you want to be able to enforce quick updates - for example when using black/white-lists that are frequently updated, or plug-ins that might take effect at different times (see Scheduler plug-in above).
NOTE: Internet Explorer on Windows also caches DNS records (independent of the "DNS Client" service) for a fixed time of 30 minutes no matter what TTL is used. So updates may take up to 30 minutes no matter what unless the user restarts I.E.

There are no other updates and changes in this build.
For details on update in previous builds, please see release notes.

This is NOT a critical update.
We recommend that all users update to this build, but there is no urgency unless you are directly affected by the issues addressed by this update.

New Domain Blacklist and Whitelist plug-ins

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 21:12:00 GMT

Simple DNS Plus v. 5.1 build 116 is now available at http://www.simpledns.com/download.aspx

This build includes a new "Domain Blacklist" plug-in which can be used to block banner ads, malicious web-sites, porn web-sites, etc. Doing this at a central DNS server makes it easy to enforce company/family policy for your entire network.
You can direct browser requests for listed entries either to a dummy IP address, or to an IP address of your own web-server where you serve up some type of "not allowed" message.
For more details see KB1253

This build also includes a new "Domain Whitelist" plug-in - for details see KB1254

For details on other updates and changes in this build, please see release notes.

This is NOT a critical update.
We recommend that all users update to this build, but there is no urgency unless you are directly affected by the issues addressed by this update.

New Weighted Round Robin plug-in

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:00:00 GMT

We have just released a new "Weighted Round Robin" plug-in for Simple DNS Plus.

This plug-in allows you to serve IP addresses for a host name round robin from a weighted list.
IP addresses are rotated so that the first visitor gets one IP address, the next visitor another IP address, etc.
However IP addresses with higher weight values are served more often than IP addresses with lower weight values.
This makes it possible for example to send more traffic to high capacity servers in a round robin set.

For more details see KB1252

The new plug-in is now available for download from http://www.simpledns.com/getplugins.aspx

New MS SQL Server "Plus" plug-in

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 22:01:00 GMT

Simple DNS Plus v. 5.1 build 112 is now available at http://www.simpledns.com/download.aspx

The reason for this update is a new MS SQL Server "Plus" plug-in which is now included in the default installation.
We call it "Plus" because it can fetch multiple DNS records of any type (A, MX, LOC, SRV, NAPTR, etc.) from a Microsoft SQL server, whereas the original MS SQL Server Plug-In can only fetch a single host or reverse record.
For more details on this new plug-in see KB1249.

In fact this new plug-in is so flexible that you could potentially serve all your DNS data from it, which is also why it requires an "unlimited zones" Simple DNS Plus license.

This is also the first plug-in based on a new type of plug-in programming interface (IGetAnswerPlugIn) which we added support for in this build - also available to 3rd party developers through the updated "sdnsplugin.dll" file.
This new interface is more powerful than the original IGetHostPlugIn interface, but also requires a better understanding of the DNS protocol and DNS data formats.
Note that all plug-ins based on this new interface require an "unlimited zones" Simple DNS Plus license.

Also note that due to changes made to the "sdnsplugin.dll" file, you will need an updated version of any plug-in that you are using which is not included with the default installation.
Updated versions of our downloadable plug-ins (BlackList, MySQL, MyIP) are now available on the plug-ins download page.
If you have created a plug-in yourself or use plug-ins from 3rd parties, these will need to be recompiled against the new version of the "sdnsplugin.dll" file. If you use C# note that most methods in the IGetHostPlugIn interface have been moved to a new IPlugInBase interface (not an issue with VB.NET).

This update (build 112) does not contain any bug fixes or updates other than those mentioned above and is NOT a critical update.
For details on the updates in previous builds, please see release notes.

Use your OpenID with ns2service.net

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:17:00 GMT

We have just added OpenID as a login option on our ns2service.net web-site.

To connect your OpenID with your ns2service.net account, simply login using your OpenID.
The first time you do this, you will be asked for your member ID and password which will then be connected to your OpenID. After this, you can forget the member ID and password, and just use your OpenID.

We really like OpenID because it allows you to use a single login on all web-sites that support it and because - unlike Microsoft's Passport and other similar (failed) efforts - it is completely decentralized with no one company controlling it.
You can choose any provider you like, change your provider whenever you like, or even be your own provider.

We are implementing OpenID on all our web-sites, and we hope you will do the same, so we can get rid of all those annoying passwords...

Helm 3.2 / Simple DNS Plus v. 5.1 interface

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:30:00 GMT

Our good friend and long time Simple DNS Plus user Mr. Warren Ashcroft with Red Fox Hosting (*) has created an interface for Helm v. 3.2 and the new Simple DNS Plus v. 5.1.
This allows Helm 3.2 users to take advantage of the new features (including suspending/resuming zones) and enhanced security features (including "port randomization") of Simple DNS Plus v. 5.1.

Because of Dan Kaminsky's DNS bug we recommend that users of older Simple DNS Plus versions either upgrade to v. 5.1 or configure the older version to forward to a DNS server with "port randomization" (like Simple DNS Plus v. 5.1).
This just became a lot easier for Helm 3.2 users thanks to Mr. Warren Ashcroft.

Download the interface from here: helm32sdns51.zip (41 KB)
See "readme.htm" in zip file for instructions.
Please post any questions at http://forums.webhostautomation.com/showthread.php?t=24812

(*) Red Fox Hosting, a subsidiary of Red Fox UK Limited, provides small businesses and individuals with affordable, high-quality, reliable UK hosting services in an intuitive "Easy as 1-2-3" format backed by knowledgeable, responsive, and friendly support. It is our passion to establish and maintain your online web presence.

Dan Kaminsky’s DNS bug

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:02:00 GMT

The details on Kaminsky's bug have leaked to the Internet and are now available on several web-sites.

See KB1251 - Dan Kaminsky's DNS bug / VU#800113

US-CERT Vulnerability Note VU#800113

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:06:00 GMT

The US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team) has today issued Vulnerability Note VU#800113 about DNS implementations being vulnerable to cache poisoning.

See KB1251 - Dan Kaminsky's DNS bug / VU#800113

Simple DNS Plus v. 5.1 released

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:47:00 GMT

Simple DNS Plus version 5.1 is here!
Check out all the new features and enhancements at http://www.simpledns.com/kb.aspx?kbid=1246

If you purchased a new license or an upgrade within the last year (July 7th 2007 or later), the upgrade to v. 5.1 is free. Simply re-use your current license key with the new version.
Otherwise, upgrade pricing and instructions are available at http://www.simpledns.com/upgrade.aspx

If you don't have your license key or if you are unsure when your license was purchased, you can retrieve the license key and status at http://www.simpledns.com/lostkey.aspx

Version 5.1 is now available for download from
http://www.simpledns.com/download.aspx
Upgrade instructions are available on the same web page.

We hope you like what we have done with Simple DNS Plus in v. 5.1, and as always, we look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions.

DNS Blacklist plug-in released for Simple DNS Plus

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:55:00 GMT

A new plug-in for hosting DNS blacklists (a.k.a. "DNSBL" / "RBL") with Simple DNS Plus is now available for download.
This plug-in is highly optimized to host DNS blacklists with millions of entries very fast and with very low memory usage.
This is a free add-on for Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0.
For more details see KB1241

We are also releasing a new freeware DNS Blacklist Editor tool for editing standard DNS blacklist files (RBLDNSD / RBLDNS format), and compiling such files for use with the new plug-in.

Update to the Simple DNS Plus API for .NET and COM

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:20:00 GMT

We have just released version 1.1 of the Simple DNS Plus API for .NET and COM.

Updates in this version:
1) Support for new SPF-record type (requires Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0 or later).
2) Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0 code base (various optimizations and bug fixes).
3) Included help file/documentation updated to VS2008 style.

Version 1.1 is now available for download:
sdnsapi-setup.exe (662 KB)

If you have a previous release installed, simply run above installation file to upgrade.

For more information about the Simple DNS Plus API for .NET and COM, see the on-line documentation at http://www.simpledns.com/help/api/

Developing plug-ins for Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 23:33:00 GMT

We have just published 3 screen casts demonstrating how to create a plug-in for Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0 using Visual Basic.NET and Visual Studio 2005.

Check it out at http://www.simpledns.com/kb.aspx?kbid=1238

PHP and Simple DNS Plus

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 20:43:00 GMT

Recently we are getting more questions about accessing Simple DNS Plus from PHP code running on both Windows and Linux web-servers.

There are several options for updating DNS data in Simple DNS Plus through scripting and programming - see KB1192.

If you want to update Simple DNS Plus from PHP on a Windows/IIS web-server, the easiest option is probably the Simple DNS Plus .NET/COM API.
The latest version of PHP supports .NET objects - see http://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.dotnet.php

You can also update Simple DNS Plus from PHP directly through the HTTP API.
We have just added a PHP code example for this at http://www.simpledns.com/kb.aspx?kbid=1135#php
This also works if your PHP web-site is running on a Linux server or your Windows server does not have .NET.

Above is the first PHP code sample we have published, but we will try to include PHP in our code samples going forward.

Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0 plug-In library documentation

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:53:00 GMT

For users and third parties who wish to create plug-ins for Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0, we are now publishing detailed documentation for the plug-in library (sdnsplugin.dll) included in the standard Simple DNS Plus installation:

On-line version / Download CHM version (180 KB)

We are also working on a tutorial or possibly a screen-cast describing the process of creating a plug-in for Simple DNS Plus, and will be making this available shortly.

"MyIP" plug-in released for Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:44:00 GMT

This plug-in simply returns the IP address of the client that sent the DNS request (as seen by Simple DNS Plus).
This can be used for example by dynamic IP clients to figure out their current IP address - or simply as a diagnostics tool.

This plug-in is obviously very simple and is a nice example of how to develop plug-ins for Simple DNS Plus.
Therefore we are also making the source code (C#) available for download so that anyone interested in creating their own plug-ins for Simple DNS Plus can study this.
We are working on additional documentation and tutorials for creating plug-ins for Simple DNS Plus and will be making this available shortly.

Download the "MyIP" plug-in and source code from http://www.simpledns.com/getplugins.aspx

NOTE: This plug-in requires Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0 build 110 (released earlier today) or later.

MySQL plug-in released for Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:11:00 GMT

A new plug-in which queries a MySQL Server for host records and optionally reverse records is now available for download.
SQL queries are executed asynchronously (in a separate thread) and therefore won't slow down other requests not using the plug-in.

This plug-in is a free add-on for Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0.

Download from http://www.simpledns.com/getplugins.aspx

For more details on this plug-in see KB1225

New reseller in California, USA

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:05:00 GMT

We are very happy to introduce MyWebDoor as our authorized reseller in California, USA.
MyWebDoor will sell and provide local support for all JH Software products and services including Simple DNS Plus and Simple Failover.

Internet DNS root server list update - Now with IPv6

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:45:00 GMT

The Internet DNS root server list has just been extended with IPv6 addresses for 6 of the 13 root servers.
See the official announcement at http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-04feb08.htm

All DNS servers (or technically "DNS resolvers") need a list of the Internet DNS root servers in order to resolve any Internet domain name.
This list is referred to as the "root hints file" and is typically provided with the DNS server installation, which is also the case with Simple DNS Plus.

The addition of IPv6 addresses to the root server list marks a major step towards the IPv6 Internet.
For the first time it is now possible to resolve DNS for a domain name entirely through IPv6.
This of course requires that TLD and lower level DNS servers implement IPv6 as well, but this has already been available for .com and several other TLDs for some time.

As for Simple DNS Plus, the timing almost couldn't better better!
We just released Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0 with full support for IPv6 a few weeks ago.

The updated root server list file (named.root) is included with Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0 build 106 and later.
You can download the latest build from http://www.simpledns.com/download.aspx

If you have the Options dialog / DNS / Miscellaneous / "Keep root server list updated automatically" option turned on, Simple DNS Plus will automatically keep the root server list file up to date.

On-line DNS delegation tracing tool

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:05:00 GMT

A new on-line tool for tracing DNS delegation is now available at http://www.simpledns.com/lookup-dg.aspx

This tool traces the DNS delegation for a domain name from the Internet DNS root servers down to the DNS servers responsible (authoritative) for the domain.
This can be very useful to find out if a domain is delegated correctly.
It can also be used to trace reverse DNS delegation. Just enter an IP address (IPv4 or IPv6), and it will trace the delegation for the reverse DNS PTR-record name for the IP address.

Other on-line DNS tools also available:
Remote DNS Lookup: http://www.simpledns.com/lookup.aspx
Lookup GPS coordinates in DNS: http://www.simpledns.com/lookup-loc.aspx

Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0 released

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:18:00 GMT

The all new Simple DNS Plus version 5.0 is here!

This release has more new features and enhancements than any previous update.
For all the details, check out the "What's new" page at http://www.simpledns.com/kb.aspx?kbid=1215

If you purchased (or upgraded) your current Simple DNS Plus license within the last year (January 17th 2007 or later), the upgrade to v. 5.0 is free. Simply re-use your current license key with the new version.
Otherwise, upgrade pricing and instructions are available at http://www.simpledns.com/upgrade.aspx

If you don't have your license key or if you are unsure when your license was purchased, you can retrieve the license key and status at http://www.simpledns.com/lostkey.aspx

Version 5.0 is available for download from
http://www.simpledns.com/download.aspx
Upgrade instructions are available on the same web page.

IMPORTANT:
Version 5.0 is backwards compatible for the most part - but NOT 100%.
Before upgrading, make sure to check the "Retired features and breaking changes" list at http://www.simpledns.com/kb.aspx?kbid=1204

We hope you like what we have done with Simple DNS Plus in v. 5.0, and as always, we look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions.

Community Forums re-opened

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:12:00 GMT

Our Simple DNS Plus community forums are now open once again at http://www.simpledns.com/forums.aspx

The server which previously hosted our forums died on January 5th 2008 because of a faulty RAID disk set.
Unfortunately we have lost all the conversation data of the old forums.
We sincerely apologize to everyone we contributed to the old forums - we highly appreciate and value your participation.

We are now re-opening our forums using a new forum software Yet Another Forum which we think will be easier to use, and hopefully simpler to backup.

We believe community forums are a great way for users of our software products to communicate with us and each other.
So please go ahead and sign up, ask your questions, and post your suggestions.

Server failure - Missing forum and KB/news images

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Over this past weekend (January 5th) our main Internet server died because of a faulty RAID disk set.
So for the past few days we have been working round the clock to get everything running again on a new server.

We had good backups of the all critical data (orders, licenses, etc.) and of most of our web-sites etc., but unfortunately we have lost the conversation data from our community forums and image files associated with KB and news articles.

This means that our community forums will be closed for a while as we want to take this "opportunity" to explorer different forum options before re-opening this.
In the mean time we are of course ready to answer any questions you have about our products and services by e-mail.

Also, many KB and news articles are now missing images or only have blurred/miniature versions.
We will probably wait until after the release of Simple DNS Plus v. 5.0 to replace the KB images, since many of these will need to be updated with new screen shots from v. 5.0 anyway.

We sincerely apologize for the mess - and yes - we have just signed up our new server for a Mozy Pro backup account.

Simple DNS Plus on Windows Home Server

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:12:00 GMT

Windows Home Server is a scaled down version of Windows Server 2003 with some nice home networking features added.

Like any other version of Windows 98/2000 and later, Windows Home Server runs Simple DNS Plus very nicely.

We are considering making an actual Windows Home Server Add-In edition of Simple DNS Plus at a later time, but for now to install Simple DNS Plus on Windows Home Server you need to either access the server computer directly or through a Remove Desktop connection and install it as you would on a normal Windows computer (not through the "Home Server Connector" software).