To perform zone and record changes using inbuilt tools, the :doc:`pdnsutil <pdnsutil>` command can be used. All available options are described in the online :doc:`manual page <../manpages/pdnsutil.1>` as well as in ``man pdnsutil``.
-The SysV init script
---------------------
-
-This script supplied with the PowerDNS source accepts the following
-commands:
-
-- ``monitor``: Monitor is a special way to view the daemon. It executes
- PowerDNS in the foreground with a lot of logging turned on, which
- helps in determining startup problems. Besides running in the
- foreground, the raw PowerDNS control socket is made available. All
- external communication with the daemon is normally sent over this
- socket. While useful, the control console is not an officially
- supported feature. Commands which work are: ``QUIT``, ``SHOW *``,
- ``SHOW varname``, ``RPING``.
-- ``start``: Start PowerDNS in the background. Launches the daemon but
- makes no special effort to determine success, as making database
- connections may take a while. Use ``status`` to query success. You
- can safely run ``start`` many times, it will not start additional
- PowerDNS instances.
-- ``restart``: Restarts PowerDNS if it was running, starts it
- otherwise.
-- ``status``: Query PowerDNS for status. This can be used to figure out
- if a launch was successful. The status found is prefixed by the PID
- of the main PowerDNS process.
-- ``stop``: Requests that PowerDNS stop. Again, does not confirm
- success. Success can be ascertained with the ``status`` command.
-- ``dump``: Dumps a lot of statistics of a running PowerDNS daemon. It
- is also possible to single out specific variable by using the
- ``show`` command.
-- ``show variable``: Show a single statistic, as present in the output
- of the ``dump``.
-- ``mrtg``: Dump statistics in mrtg format. See the performance
- :ref:`counters` documentation.
-
-.. note::
- Packages provided by Operating System vendors might support
- different or less commands.
-
Running in the foreground
-------------------------