DNSSEC-SETTIME(1) BIND 9 DNSSEC-SETTIME(1)
NAME
dnssec-settime - set the key timing metadata for a DNSSEC key
SYNOPSIS
dnssec-settime [-f] [-K directory] [-L ttl] [-P date/offset] [-P ds
date/offset] [-P sync date/offset] [-A date/offset] [-R date/offset] [-I
date/offset] [-D date/offset] [-D ds date/offset] [-D sync date/offset]
[-S key] [-i interval] [-h] [-V] [-v level] [-E engine] {keyfile} [-s]
[-g state] [-d state date/offset] [-k state date/offset] [-r state
date/offset] [-z state date/offset]
DESCRIPTION
dnssec-settime reads a DNSSEC private key file and sets the key timing
metadata as specified by the -P, -A, -R, -I, and -D options. The meta-
data can then be used by dnssec-signzone or other signing software to
determine when a key is to be published, whether it should be used for
signing a zone, etc.
If none of these options is set on the command line, dnssec-settime sim-
ply prints the key timing metadata already stored in the key.
When key metadata fields are changed, both files of a key pair
(Knnnn.+aaa+iiiii.key and Knnnn.+aaa+iiiii.private) are regenerated.
Metadata fields are stored in the private file. A human-readable de-
scription of the metadata is also placed in comments in the key file.
The private file's permissions are always set to be inaccessible to any-
one other than the owner (mode 0600).
When working with state files, it is possible to update the timing meta-
data in those files as well with -s. With this option, it is also pos-
sible to update key states with -d (DS), -k (DNSKEY), -r (RRSIG of KSK),
or -z (RRSIG of ZSK). Allowed states are HIDDEN, RUMOURED, OMNIPRESENT,
and UNRETENTIVE.
The goal state of the key can also be set with -g. This should be either
HIDDEN or OMNIPRESENT, representing whether the key should be removed
from the zone or published.
It is NOT RECOMMENDED to manipulate state files manually, except for
testing purposes.
OPTIONS
-f This option forces an update of an old-format key with no meta-
data fields. Without this option, dnssec-settime fails when at-
tempting to update a legacy key. With this option, the key is
recreated in the new format, but with the original key data re-
tained. The key's creation date is set to the present time. If no
other values are specified, then the key's publication and acti-
vation dates are also set to the present time.
-K directory
This option sets the directory in which the key files are to re-
side.
-L ttl This option sets the default TTL to use for this key when it is
converted into a DNSKEY RR. This is the TTL used when the key is
imported into a zone, unless there was already a DNSKEY RRset in
place, in which case the existing TTL takes precedence. If this
value is not set and there is no existing DNSKEY RRset, the TTL
defaults to the SOA TTL. Setting the default TTL to 0 or none re-
moves it from the key.
-h This option emits a usage message and exits.
-V This option prints version information.
-v level
This option sets the debugging level.
-E engine
This option specifies the cryptographic hardware to use, when ap-
plicable.
When BIND 9 is built with OpenSSL, this needs to be set to the
OpenSSL engine identifier that drives the cryptographic accelera-
tor or hardware service module (usually pkcs11).
TIMING OPTIONS
Dates can be expressed in the format YYYYMMDD or YYYYMMDDHHMMSS (which
is the format used inside key files), or 'Day Mon DD HH:MM:SS YYYY' (as
printed by dnssec-settime -p), or UNIX epoch time (as printed by
dnssec-settime -up), or the literal now.
The argument can be followed by + or - and an offset from the given
time. The literal now can be omitted before an offset. The offset can be
followed by one of the suffixes y, mo, w, d, h, or mi, so that it is
computed in years (defined as 365 24-hour days, ignoring leap years),
months (defined as 30 24-hour days), weeks, days, hours, or minutes, re-
spectively. Without a suffix, the offset is computed in seconds.
To unset a date, use none, never, or unset.
All these formats are case-insensitive.
-P date/offset
This option sets the date on which a key is to be published to
the zone. After that date, the key is included in the zone but is
not used to sign it.
ds date/offset
This option sets the date on which DS records that match
this key have been seen in the parent zone.
sync date/offset
This option sets the date on which CDS and CDNSKEY records
that match this key are to be published to the zone.
-A date/offset
This option sets the date on which the key is to be activated.
After that date, the key is included in the zone and used to sign
it.
-R date/offset
This option sets the date on which the key is to be revoked. Af-
ter that date, the key is flagged as revoked. It is included in
the zone and is used to sign it.
-I date/offset
This option sets the date on which the key is to be retired. Af-
ter that date, the key is still included in the zone, but it is
not used to sign it.
-D date/offset
This option sets the date on which the key is to be deleted. Af-
ter that date, the key is no longer included in the zone. (How-
ever, it may remain in the key repository.)
ds date/offset
This option sets the date on which the DS records that
match this key have been seen removed from the parent
zone.
sync date/offset
This option sets the date on which the CDS and CDNSKEY
records that match this key are to be deleted.
-S predecessor key
This option selects a key for which the key being modified is an
explicit successor. The name, algorithm, size, and type of the
predecessor key must exactly match those of the key being modi-
fied. The activation date of the successor key is set to the in-
activation date of the predecessor. The publication date is set
to the activation date minus the prepublication interval, which
defaults to 30 days.
-i interval
This option sets the prepublication interval for a key. If set,
then the publication and activation dates must be separated by at
least this much time. If the activation date is specified but the
publication date is not, the publication date defaults to this
much time before the activation date; conversely, if the publica-
tion date is specified but not the activation date, activation is
set to this much time after publication.
If the key is being created as an explicit successor to another
key, then the default prepublication interval is 30 days; other-
wise it is zero.
As with date offsets, if the argument is followed by one of the
suffixes y, mo, w, d, h, or mi, the interval is measured in
years, months, weeks, days, hours, or minutes, respectively.
Without a suffix, the interval is measured in seconds.
KEY STATE OPTIONS
To test dnssec-policy it may be necessary to construct keys with artifi-
cial state information; these options are used by the testing framework
for that purpose, but should never be used in production.
Known key states are HIDDEN, RUMOURED, OMNIPRESENT, and UNRETENTIVE.
-s This option indicates that when setting key timing data, the
state file should also be updated.
-g state
This option sets the goal state for this key. Must be HIDDEN or
OMNIPRESENT.
-d state date/offset
This option sets the DS state for this key as of the specified
date, offset from the current date.
-k state date/offset
This option sets the DNSKEY state for this key as of the speci-
fied date, offset from the current date.
-r state date/offset
This option sets the RRSIG (KSK) state for this key as of the
specified date, offset from the current date.
-z state date/offset
This option sets the RRSIG (ZSK) state for this key as of the
specified date, offset from the current date.
PRINTING OPTIONS
dnssec-settime can also be used to print the timing metadata associated
with a key.
-u This option indicates that times should be printed in Unix epoch
format.
-p C/P/Pds/Psync/A/R/I/D/Dds/Dsync/all
This option prints a specific metadata value or set of metadata
values. The -p option may be followed by one or more of the fol-
lowing letters or strings to indicate which value or values to
print: C for the creation date, P for the publication date, Pds`
for the DS publication date, ``Psync for the CDS and CDNSKEY pub-
lication date, A for the activation date, R for the revocation
date, I for the inactivation date, D for the deletion date, Dds
for the DS deletion date, and Dsync for the CDS and CDNSKEY dele-
tion date. To print all of the metadata, use all.
SEE ALSO
dnssec-keygen(8), dnssec-signzone(8), BIND 9 Administrator Reference
Manual, ]8;;https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc5011.html\RFC 5011]8;;\.
AUTHOR
Internet Systems Consortium
COPYRIGHT
2025, Internet Systems Consortium
9.20.15-1~deb13u1-Debian 2025-10-18 DNSSEC-SETTIME(1)
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