DNS forward question

["Jean-Christian Imbeault" <jean_christian@example.com>]

A simple question on the forward option. I have read the both the DNS&BIND 
book and the BIND 9 ARM but still am confused as to what forward actually 
does.

My question boils down to this: if I use a forwarders list does that mean 
that the DNS servers listed therein get queried *before* my local DNS 
server? I'm asking because it seems kind of silly to query other DNS servers 
for hosts that my local server can answer for ... Especially since my server 
is for a local LAN and the "upstream" DNS server can't answer for local 
names at all.

I have the following:

options {
        directory "/var/named";
         query-source address * port 53;
         forward first;
         forwarders {
             165.76.16.2;
             165.76.8.2;
         };
};

Does my local DNS server answer first or second for hosts it knows about? If 
I remove the "forward first" option will that make my local DNS server 
answer first for hosts it knows about?

Thanks,

Jc
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