FortiGate DNS: Serving DNS Databases

Fortigate DNS KB ID 0001796

Problem

A colleague rang to ask if I had any thoughts about a problem that they were having, we do a lot of VMware VCSA upgrades for customers, the process fails if there is no DNS resolution of the FQDN during the upgrade process. We had tried to fix the problem by creating hosts records (typically we don’t have access to the client’s DNS servers that run in the virtual environment). I had thought (wrongly) that it simply needed to lookup the FQDN, but I’m told it also needs to do a reverse lookup (locate a PTR record).

We could of course just spin up either a Windows server and put DNS on it, or a Linux BIND server, but what if we could use the firewall? With Cisco this is a non starter, but what about the clients that have FortiGate?

VCSA-DNS-Lookup

FortiGate DNS

By default the feature isn’t enabled, you need to go to System > Feature Visibility > DNS Database > Enable it > Apply.

FortiGate Enable DNS Host Lookup

Network > DNS Servers > Create New.

FortiGate Enable DNS Service

Select the interface that will serve DNS queries > OK.

FortiGate Configre DNS Service

Back at the min page under DNS Database > Create New > Give the zone a sensible name > Set the domain name > Under  DNS Entries > Create New.

Fortigate DNS

First create a host (A Record) that will point the FQDN to the correct IP address.

FortiGate Configre A Records

Then create a pointer (PTR Record) that will point the IP address back to the FQDN.

FortiGate Configre PTR Records

It should look something like this > OK.

FortiGate Configre For Internsal DNS

Then test from a client that’s connected to the Interface serving DNS requests.

FortiGate Test DNS Zone

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

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Author: PeteLong

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