PDNS is normally launched by the init.d script but is actually a binary called pdns_server. This file is started by the start and monitor commands to the init.d script. Other commands are implemented using the controlsocket.
The controlsocket is the means to contact a running PDNS daemon, or as we now know, a running pdns_server. Over this sockets, instructions can be sent using the pdns_control program. Like the pdns_server, this program is normally accessed via the init.d script.
To communicate with PDNS over the controlsocket, the pdns_control command is used. The init.d script also calls pdns_control. The syntax is simple: pdns_control command arguments. Currently this is most useful for telling backends to rediscover domains or to force the transmission of notifications. See Section 13.3.
Besides the commands implemented by the init.d script, for which see Section 2.3, the following pdns_control commands are available:
Returns counts on the contents of the cache.
Adds a domain to the notification list, causing PDNS to send out notifications to the nameservers of a domain. Can be used if a slave missed previous notifications or is generally hard of hearing.
Same as above but with operator specified IP address as destination, to be used if you know better than PowerDNS.
Purges the entire Packet Cache - see Chapter 9.
Purges all entries for this exact record name - see Chapter 9.
Purges all cache entries ending on this name, effectively purging an entire domain - see Chapter 9.
Purges the entire Packet Cache - see Chapter 9.
Purges all entries for this exact record name - see Chapter 9.
Instructs backends that new domains may have appeared in the database, or, in the case of the Bind backend, in named.conf.
Instructs backends that the contents of domains may have changed. Many backends ignore this, the Bind backend will check timestamps for all zones (once queries come in for it) and reload if needed.
Retrieve a slave domain from its master. Done nearly immediatly.
Set a configuration parameter. Currently only the 'query-logging' parameter can be set.
Reports the uptime of the daemon in human readable form.
returns the version of a running pdns daemon.