What is the role of nslookup in relation to zone transfers?

• A. It is not used for performing zone transfers; they are accomplished with DNS.
• B. It performs automated zone transfers between servers.
• C. It can be used to modify zone transfer permissions.
• D. It is used to simulate DNS replies for tests.

Answer: (A)

Zone transfers are the DNS mechanism by which a primary DNS server replicates its zone data to secondary servers, using AXFR for full transfers or IXFR for incremental transfers. This is an inter-server process controlled by DNS server software and configuration. nslookup, by contrast, is a DNS client tool used to query records, diagnose resolution issues, and inspect responses from a DNS server. It does not initiate or perform the zone transfer process between servers. If you need to test or trigger a zone transfer, you’d use a tool designed for that purpose (such as an AXFR request with a capable DNS querying tool) and rely on the DNS server’s configuration to permit transfers only to authorized hosts.