What Is a Lame Server?
Internet sites rely on Domain Name System, or DNS, servers to direct Web traffic to the appropriate physical location. If a Web site does not configure its DNS service properly then other servers that interact with that site will receive a "lame server" or "lame delegation" error message. Both DNS servers and Internet zone authorities police for the existence of lame server connections.
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Definition
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A lame server is defined as a server that does not provide authoritative information when contacted for DNS information. Lame server error messages occur when a website or network device provides DNS information that does not match the lookup information stored on the provided name server.
Incorrect Configuration
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There are two likely causes that can result in a lame server. One possibly cause of a lame server denotation is an incorrectly configured website. If an owner of an Internet zone, or Web address, runs multiple servers on the address then they must properly configure which name server should handle DNS inquiries. A lame server error will occur in cases in which the site owner only registers one of the two servers, or in cases where secondary websites don't properly register with the same name server as their parent website. In these cases DNS queries that involving the unregistered Web server will result in a lame server designation.
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Intentional Lameness
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While most lame server errors are cause by name service configuration problems, sometimes rogue websites will intentionally create lame server errors. Instead of paying name servers for their services, these sites simply list a popular name server in their DNS records in hopes of obtaining free service. While such lame server websites may thus obtain free name service for a period of time, there are management tools that can be used to determine server lameness across an Internet zone. Zone managers use these tools to verify DNS compliance and eliminate unauthorized name service from offending sites.
Logging
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If you operate a Web server then you are familiar with the log files that your server creates during everyday operation. By default, a server log file notes each time a DNS authorization attempt results in a lame server designation. If you discover a large number of lame server errors in your log then the DNS information for your server, or someone who frequently visits your server, is incorrect. All Web server applications should be capable of turning off lame server notification; consult your server's user guide if you wish to do so.
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References
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