BIND 9's Support Model

BIND 9's Mix of Community Support, Professional Support, and the DDI Eco-System

BIND 9 is a managed open source solution. This support model provides the global community of users with the best of two worlds - the open source community of your colleagues using the same software, AND traditional software support through ISC’s professional services. Like most open source projects, most users get help by asking other users of the software. ISC's BIND 9 is no different.

Most BIND 9 users get help through ISC's documentation, this knowledgebase (KB), or through the BIND-USERS community. BIND 9 users seeking help are first asked to check the BIND Users community, our KB, and documentation (see the check list below).

But we know that many networks need more than community support. They need someone to call. They need someone accountable. They need an organization that will be there when there is a problem with their DNS systems. ISC's traditional software support services provide access to the best DNS talent on the planet. It is professional support for BIND 9 that provides accountability and peace of mind when there are live operational issues. Our software support services range from basic 9 AM-5 PM Monday-Friday phone support to options that meet the requirements of the largest service providers. The mix of traditional software support combined with an open source community is one of the reasons why BIND 9 is the most widely deployed DNS software in the world.

BIND 9's community does not stop with peer and traditional support. ISC’s open source license has facilitated an entire eco-system of DDI (DNS, DHCP, and IP address management) partners. These eco-system partners use ISC software as a part of their solution, adding in-depth value through their own innovation.

Get Connected to the BIND 9 Community (Checklist)

Everyone who runs BIND 9 should have some sort of relationship with ISC. This "relationship" is free. It is part of the BIND 9 community of support. This will insure that everyone using BIND 9 will know about critical issues, security vulnerabilities, new features, and new DNS issues in the industry. To start, follow steps 1 - 5 below. This will "plug you in" to the BIND 9 community.

1. Subscribe to the BIND Announce alias. This alias is used to get the word out. New versions of BIND 9, public alerts, news, webinars, BIND 9 events, and other activities are shared through BIND Announce.

2. Subscribe to the BIND Users alias. This is the alias to post questions to your peers. It is the traditional open source community support alias.

3. Check ISC's Knowledgebase (what you are reading now). In 2011, ISC launched its Knowledgebase. Over time, this has become the first place to go when seeking answers to questions. KB articles are based on tickets submitted by our support customers, to help the entire community.

4. Read the Administrator's Reference Manual (ARM) for the version of BIND you are running. You can also visit our ReadTheDocs site for the most recent versions of the ARM. The BIND 9 Administrator's Reference Manual is the best documentation source available to BIND 9 administrators. It is updated with each version of BIND 9.

5. Connect to ISC on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. ISC uses a variety of social media to reach our constituents. Connect to us via Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Get a BIND 9 Support Contract (Checklist)

What do you do when your DNS breaks? Your site is down because your DNS Authoritative servers are not working. Your users cannot access the net because your DNS Resolvers are broken. DNS is critical to the Internet. DNS is now critical to mobile telecoms. Anything that is critical should have something more than a community support option. ISC provides BIND 9 support to some of the largest, most critical infrastructure providers on the planet. We're the ones you want to call when you need DNS help.

1. Check the available BIND 9 Software Support Options. Check this page for our BIND 9 Support options.

2. Fill out our Contact Form. This will allow ISC to match our support options to your network environment.