DnsServer ActiveX Control

Use the DnsServer control to build a DNS server application which responds to DNS queries. Features include:

  • When a request is received, a corresponding event is raised. Write your own custom handling code in the event handler.
  • The GetAddress event is raised when a client requests a domian name be resolved to a dot address (forward lookup).
  • The GetName event is raised when a client requests a dot address be resolved to a domain name (reverse lookup).
  • The GetMailServer event is raised when a client requests an email address be resolved to the mail server responsible for that email address (mx lookup).
  • Use with the Dns control to build a "proxy" DNS server (passing on requests to another DNS server), or resolve names using a local datasource.

 

 

Development Environments
  • Visual Studio .NET (.NET Framework)
  • Visual Basic (VB)
  • Visual C++ (VC++)
  • FoxPro
  • ASP
  • Office 97/2000

 

Interface 
Public Properties
ClientException ClientException is used only in the GetAddress, GetName, and GetMailServer events. After the event is fired, the DnsServer Control will expect this property to be set if you wish to return an error condition to the client. The default value is dnsOk.
LocalAddress Returns the address in use while the socket is active and an empty string when the UDP socket is closed.
LocalPort Returns the port number in use while the socket is active and 0 when the socket is closed. When the Protocol property of the UDP Control is not ptUdp, LocalPort returns 0.
Timeout Controls the blocking behavior of methods that can be used in blocking and non-blocking ways.
Public Methods
Abort Abort any blocking method and release all system resources.
About Show the About Box.
Close Release system resources.
Open Allocate a socket for sending and receiving datagrams.
Trace Start or stop the accumulation of trace or debug data. Once started, this method accumulates data until it is turned off.
Public Events
Error Fires when an error condition occurs.
GetAddress Fires when a DNS type A request has been received.
GetMailServer Fires when a DNS type MX request has been received.
GetName Fires when a DNS type PTR request has been received.

 

Code Example

How easy is the DnsServer control to use? Check out the VB examples below, which demonstrates responding to a request to resolve an address.

 

' Don't forget to add a reference to Microsoft Scripting Runtime.
Dim LookupTable As New Dictionary

Private Sub StartServer()
' Start the server
DnsServer1.Open

' Initialize the "phony" lookup table (replace this with a real data source)
LookupTable.Add "127.0.0.1", "localhost"
LookupTable.Add "111.222.111.222", "myserver.com"
LookupTable.Add "209.61.190.88", "dart.com"
End Sub

Private Sub DnsServer1_GetName(ByVal Address As String, ByVal Names As
DartDnsServerCtl.IDartStrings, OwnerName As String, ByVal Request As
DartDnsServerCtl.IDnsRequest)
' Check if they are requesting a recursive search or a local search. This example
only handles local
' searches, so send an exception if it is recursive.
If Not Cbool(Request.RecursiveFlag) Then
' Look up the name
Dim Name As String
Name = MyGetHostName(Address)

' See if a valid name was found.
If Name <> "" Then
' Add the name to the response
Names.Add (Name)

' The owner is the local server.
OwnerName = DnsServer1.LocalAddress
Else
' Name not found. Return a not found exception.
DnsServer1.ClientException = dnsNameError
End If
Else
' Uh oh, this server does local lookups only
DnsServer1.ClientException = dnsNotImplemented
End If
End Sub

Private Function MyGetHostName(ByVal Name As String)
' Use the LookupTable to get the name from the IP.
If LookupTable.Exists(Address) Then
MyGetHostName = LookupTable.Item(Address)
Else
MyGetHostName = ""
End If
End Function