Which component is essential in a forward zone configuration?

• A. A list of forwarders (destination DNS servers)
• B. An SOA for the zone data
• C. A set of A records for the domain
• D. A reverse mapping for all IPs

Answer: (A)

Forward zone configuration works by directing queries for a domain to other DNS servers. The essential piece is the list of forwarders—the destination DNS servers where queries should be sent when the local server cannot answer them itself. Without forwarders, the server wouldn’t know where to forward unresolved queries for that zone.

An SOA is tied to authoritative zone data, not forwarding. A set of A records or reverse mappings belongs to the actual zone data you’d maintain if you were hosting records for a domain, which isn’t required for a forward zone that simply routes queries to upstream servers.