[outages] DNS SERVFAIL for nist.gov

[Matthew Huff]

We have to query and compare against NIST time servers for FINRA compliance. This morning I noticed our systems are unable to DNS query the NIST time servers. Neither our local resolvers or google (8.8.8.8) work.

[root at bacall log]# dig @8.8.8.8 time-a-g.nist.gov

; <<>> DiG 9.11.4-P2-RedHat-9.11.4-26.P2.el7_9.5 <<>> @8.8.8.8 time-a-g.nist.gov
; (1 server found)
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: SERVFAIL, id: 36018
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 512
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;time-a-g.nist.gov.             IN      A

;; Query time: 6 msec
;; SERVER: 8.8.8.8#53(8.8.8.8)
;; WHEN: Mon Jun 14 06:27:45 EDT 2021
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 46

[root at bacall log]# dig @8.8.8.8 nist.gov in soa

; <<>> DiG 9.11.4-P2-RedHat-9.11.4-26.P2.el7_9.5 <<>> @8.8.8.8 nist.gov in soa
; (1 server found)
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: SERVFAIL, id: 17779
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:
; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 512
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;nist.gov.                      IN      SOA

;; Query time: 5 msec
;; SERVER: 8.8.8.8#53(8.8.8.8)
;; WHEN: Mon Jun 14 06:31:59 EDT 2021
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 37

The time servers are documented here: https://tf.nist.gov/tf-cgi/servers.cgi

Using the IP addresses work, it look like the nist.gov domain is offline.

Matthew Huff | Director of Technical Operations | OTA Management LLC

Office: 914-460-4039
mhuff at ox.com | www.ox.com
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