I am part of a group that runs a small "private internet" -- that is, a tcp/ip network that adheres to most internet RFCs and provides most of the same services as are available on the internet, but operates independently of the internet itself.

Right now, we don't run a DNS -- we go old-school with a master hosts file as was done before DNS existed on the internet. For our situation, it's the easiest solution and is entirely manageable, since there aren't a ton of domain names and the hosts file rarely needs updating.

But it's clear that eventually this will no longer be sustainable. Kudos and thanks to the author for blazing this trail for us. It will make the eventual shift to a private DNS much easier.