+.cindex "SOA record" "in &(dnsdb)& lookup"
+For an SOA lookup, while no result is obtained the lookup is redone with
+successively more leading components dropped from the given domain.
+Only the primary-nameserver field is returned unless a field separator is
+specified.
+.code
+${lookup dnsdb{>:,; soa=a.b.example.com}}
+.endd
+
+.section "Dnsdb lookup modifiers" "SECTdnsdb_mod"
+.cindex "dnsdb modifiers"
+.cindex "modifiers" "dnsdb"
+.cindex "options" "dnsdb"
+Modifiers for &(dnsdb)& lookups are givien by optional keywords,
+each followed by a comma,
+that may appear before the record type.
+
+The &(dnsdb)& lookup fails only if all the DNS lookups fail. If there is a
+temporary DNS error for any of them, the behaviour is controlled by
+a defer-option modifier.
+The possible keywords are
+&"defer_strict"&, &"defer_never"&, and &"defer_lax"&.
+With &"strict"& behaviour, any temporary DNS error causes the
+whole lookup to defer. With &"never"& behaviour, a temporary DNS error is
+ignored, and the behaviour is as if the DNS lookup failed to find anything.
+With &"lax"& behaviour, all the queries are attempted, but a temporary DNS
+error causes the whole lookup to defer only if none of the other lookups
+succeed. The default is &"lax"&, so the following lookups are equivalent:
+.code
+${lookup dnsdb{defer_lax,a=one.host.com:two.host.com}}
+${lookup dnsdb{a=one.host.com:two.host.com}}
+.endd
+Thus, in the default case, as long as at least one of the DNS lookups
+yields some data, the lookup succeeds.
+
+.cindex "DNSSEC" "dns lookup"
+Use of &(DNSSEC)& is controlled by a dnssec modifier.
+The possible keywords are
+&"dnssec_strict"&, &"dnssec_lax"&, and &"dnssec_never"&.
+With &"strict"& or &"lax"& DNSSEC information is requested
+with the lookup.
+With &"strict"& a response from the DNS resolver that
+is not labelled as authenticated data
+is treated as equivalent to a temporary DNS error.
+The default is &"never"&.
+
+See also the &$lookup_dnssec_authenticated$& variable.
+
+.cindex timeout "dns lookup"
+.cindex "DNS" timeout
+Timeout for the dnsdb lookup can be controlled by a retrans modifier.
+The form is &"retrans_VAL"& where VAL is an Exim time specification
+(eg &"5s"&).
+The default value is set by the main configuration option &%dns_retrans%&.
+
+Retries for the dnsdb lookup can be controlled by a retry modifier.
+The form if &"retry_VAL"& where VAL is an integer.
+The default count is set by the main configuration option &%dns_retry%&.
+
+