Case #565900 - "Input domain is not recognized. Please run the DNSReport with proper input"
To the point: Network Solutions' WorldNic DNS outage last night, history visible on Twitter at https://twitter.com/netsolcares/with_replies on January 12-13 2014.
Whatever DNSStuff attempted to do, basically failed miserably in this situation.
DNSreport Results for eblf.com
Input domain eblf.com is not recognized.
Please run the DNSReport with proper input.
The above, is my _full_ error, after 30-45 seconds of processing, coming up in a red dialog on the page. I unfortunately did not screenshot it...
I attempted to open a bug ticket, with the credentials listed in our company's wiki for DNSStuff.com, and I get an email back saying that, as the report is technical in nature, we must pay for support to have it looked at by a technician. -- After receiving a reply to the nature of "works for me, try again" from an actual technician.
That's some nerve, when I'm attempting to report a bug that effects everyone, if for whatever reason the queries DNSStuff makes to (registrar, dns server(s), whatever it does) are unsuccessful.
I will re-paste my entire reply set and bug report from the 2 support ticket replies below. Please, SolarWinds, understand this is a bug in your product, and figure out how to fix it -- I really don't care if we have a support contract or not with you, your product has a bug that needs fixing.
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Hello Solarwinds,
I am attempting to get a "third party, off-network result" for a domain a customer is attempting to diagnose the reason it won't work (which I've determined to be worldnic DNS servers refusing to reply)
DNSreport Results for eblf.com
Input domain eblf.com is not recognized.
Please run the DNSReport with proper input.
Please Define "recognized"
Please Define "proper input"
So I am better able to understand why domain.ext is not recognized nor proper.
Or fix your software to emit the error "Unable to contact DNS servers"
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To which I received the following reply from a tech:
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I ran the DNSReport on eblf.com and received a full report. I attached the report in .pdf . Please try the DNSReport again.
Sincerely,
Brian
SolarWinds Technical Support
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So I reply again...
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If you do a bit of Twitter real-time investigating like I do, you will find that Network Solutions' entire DNS service went AWOL earlier.
Your system apparently did _not_ appreciate whatever lack of response the authoritative servers from that site were (not) giving it.
Please attempt to test your service within a firewalled situation, so that no actual data is received from the remote DNS server. Unfortunately I did not perform any packet capture, to see if either a partial, or otherwise mangled, response was received.
At that exact point in time, my 'dig' requests both timed out:
$ dig @NS49.WORLDNIC.COM eblf.com
; <<>> DiG 9.9.1-P3 <<>> @NS49.WORLDNIC.COM eblf.com
; (1 server found)
;; global options: +cmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached
$ dig @NS50.WORLDNIC.COM eblf.com
; <<>> DiG 9.9.1-P3 <<>> @NS50.WORLDNIC.COM eblf.com
; (1 server found)
;; global options: +cmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached
From my own systemwide command logging, these were executed at (within NTP drift thresholds, and within the 'MST' (GMT -07:00) timezone:
Jan 12 23:45:37 mikeh-desktop bash: HISTORY: PID=5505 UID=1000 dig @NS49.WORLDNIC.COM eblf.com
Jan 12 23:46:13 mikeh-desktop bash: HISTORY: PID=5505 UID=1000 dig @NS50.WORLDNIC.COM eblf.com
AT that precise time, network solutions 'worldnic' was dead to the world.
Please try to replicate my issue that seems to only exist when your program cannot contact the remote server.
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So I reply again...And the tech team drops the ball over to customer service
-------------------------------------Thank you for contacting SolarWinds Customer Service.
Unfortunately, your question is of a technical nature, and as you do not have current maintenance on your account I am unable to transfer your case to our tech support team for assistance.
You may wish to log on to our on-line forum THWACK and pose your question for assistance there. This is a great site and is monitored not only by our tech people but also by a large number of our customers who are very familiar with the products.
http://thwack.com/Default.aspx.
*** DNSstuff is now a free tool and can be downloaded for free http://www.dnsstuff.com/***
Please let me know if you would like me to put you in contact with my colleagues in regards to the renewal of maintenance.
If you have any feedback (positive or negative) as to the way your query was handled, we invite you to send your comments to CS-Feedback@solarwinds.com
Kind Regards,
Elena
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So I come here, and will be writing cs-feedback a bit of a grumpy email.
Your program's got a bug. Fix it.
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