AXFR (short for "Address eXchange FRame") is a type of DNS query that allows a DNS server to request a full copy of another server's zone file. This can be used to replicate DNS records between servers, allowing multiple servers to provide the same DNS data and improve the reliability and performance of DNS services.
To use AXFR, you first need to make sure that the DNS server you are querying allows AXFR requests. This is typically controlled by the server's configuration, and may require modifying settings such as the allow-transfer directive in the zone file. Once the server is configured to allow AXFR requests, you can use a tool such as dig to perform the request.
Here is an example of how to use dig to perform an AXFR request:
dig @dns-server-name example.com AXFR
Replace dns-server-name with the hostname or IP address of the DNS server you want to query, and example.com with the domain name for which you want to retrieve the zone file. This will perform an AXFR request and display the full zone file for the specified domain.
Note that AXFR requests are typically only allowed between DNS servers that are configured to allow it, and may be restricted to specific IP addresses or networks. This is to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive DNS data. Therefore, you may need to ensure that your DNS server is properly configured and authorized to perform AXFR requests.