Para obter informações autoritativas usando dig, você geralmente usa uma combinação de + trace e @server. Por exemplo, se eu quiser informações autorizadas sobre www.google.com, eu faria assim:
# dig +trace NS google.com
; <<>> DiG 9.4.2-P2 <<>> +trace NS google.com
;; global options: printcmd
. 3600000 IN NS L.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS M.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS I.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS H.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS F.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS C.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS G.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS B.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS K.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS E.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
. 3600000 IN NS J.ROOT-SERVERS.NET.
;; Received 244 bytes from 192.168.0.42#53(192.168.0.42) in 3 ms
com. 172800 IN NS k.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS e.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS f.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS d.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS i.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS m.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS a.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS h.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS g.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS j.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS c.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS b.gtld-servers.net.
com. 172800 IN NS l.gtld-servers.net.
;; Received 488 bytes from 128.8.10.90#53(D.ROOT-SERVERS.NET) in 129 ms
google.com. 172800 IN NS ns2.google.com.
google.com. 172800 IN NS ns1.google.com.
google.com. 172800 IN NS ns3.google.com.
google.com. 172800 IN NS ns4.google.com.
;; Received 164 bytes from 192.31.80.30#53(d.gtld-servers.net) in 149 ms
google.com. 345600 IN NS ns4.google.com.
google.com. 345600 IN NS ns3.google.com.
google.com. 345600 IN NS ns2.google.com.
google.com. 345600 IN NS ns1.google.com.
;; Received 164 bytes from 216.239.32.10#53(ns1.google.com) in 32 ms
Agora, tenho os servidores de nomes listados em google.com, bem como o endereço IP de um deles. Eu posso perguntar a este servidor de nomes diretamente para os registros:
# dig www.google.com @216.239.32.10
; <<>> DiG 9.4.2-P2 <<>> www.google.com @216.239.32.10
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 24224
;; flags: qr aa rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 7, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0
;; WARNING: recursion requested but not available
;; QUESTION SECTION:
;www.google.com. IN A
;; ANSWER SECTION:
www.google.com. 604800 IN CNAME www.l.google.com.
www.l.google.com. 300 IN A 209.85.148.104
www.l.google.com. 300 IN A 209.85.148.103
www.l.google.com. 300 IN A 209.85.148.99
www.l.google.com. 300 IN A 209.85.148.105
www.l.google.com. 300 IN A 209.85.148.106
www.l.google.com. 300 IN A 209.85.148.147
;; Query time: 34 msec
;; SERVER: 216.239.32.10#53(216.239.32.10)
;; WHEN: Fri Apr 29 15:22:40 2011
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 148