TODO.md

@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ trial run of the finished image: https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/dnswatcher/issues/149
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-02: a name's CNAME is stored once per nameserver, not once per record
+  type asked for; a state file with repeats loads each value once (closes #220).
 - 2026-10-02: a DNS lookup that shutdown cuts short logs no error; one that
   fails otherwise, or runs out of time, still does (closes #229).
 - 2026-10-02: Record Change and Inconsistency notifications list only the record

internal/resolver/export_test.go

@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ func ExtractRecordValue(rr dns.RR) string {
 	return extractRecordValue(rr)
 }
 
+// CollectAnswerRecords exports collectAnswerRecords for testing.
+func CollectAnswerRecords(msg *dns.Msg, resp *NameserverResponse) {
+	var state queryState
+
+	collectAnswerRecords(msg, resp, &state)
+}
+
 // UsableReply exports usableReply for testing.
 func UsableReply(resp *dns.Msg, zone string, name string) bool {
 	return usableReply(resp, zone, name)

internal/resolver/iterative.go

@@ -714,6 +714,10 @@ func (r *Resolver) querySingleType(
 	collectAnswerRecords(msg, resp, state)
 }
 
+// collectAnswerRecords adds the records in msg's answer to resp, each
+// value once per record type. For a name with a CNAME, a nameserver
+// answers a query of any type with that CNAME, so the same value comes
+// in the answer to every type asked for.
 func collectAnswerRecords(
 	msg *dns.Msg,
 	resp *NameserverResponse,
@@ -726,9 +730,12 @@ func collectAnswerRecords(
 		}
 
 		typeName := dns.TypeToString[rr.Header().Rrtype]
+		if !slices.Contains(resp.Records[typeName], val) {
 			resp.Records[typeName] = append(
 				resp.Records[typeName], val,
 			)
+		}
+
 		state.hasRecords = true
 	}
 }

internal/resolver/iterative_test.go

@@ -238,6 +238,38 @@ func TestExtractRecordValue_LetterCase(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestCollectAnswerRecords_CNAMEOnce collects the answers a nameserver
+// gives for a name with a CNAME, one for each record type a check asks
+// for. Each answer holds the CNAME, which must be stored once.
+func TestCollectAnswerRecords_CNAMEOnce(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cname := &dns.CNAME{
+		Hdr: dns.RR_Header{
+			Name: "git.eeqj.de.", Rrtype: dns.TypeCNAME, Class: dns.ClassINET,
+		},
+		Target: "fsn1app1.datavi.be.",
+	}
+
+	resp := &resolver.NameserverResponse{Records: map[string][]string{}}
+
+	for _, qtype := range []uint16{
+		dns.TypeA, dns.TypeAAAA, dns.TypeCNAME, dns.TypeMX,
+		dns.TypeTXT, dns.TypeSRV, dns.TypeCAA, dns.TypeNS,
+	} {
+		msg := new(dns.Msg)
+		msg.SetQuestion("git.eeqj.de.", qtype)
+		msg.Answer = []dns.RR{cname}
+
+		resolver.CollectAnswerRecords(msg, resp)
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(t,
+		map[string][]string{"CNAME": {"fsn1app1.datavi.be."}},
+		resp.Records,
+	)
+}
+
 // TestShuffled shuffles the root servers with many seeds. Every order
 // must hold each root server once, so each is tried before a
 // resolution fails; each root server must come first for some seed, so

internal/state/state.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"log/slog"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"slices"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -201,6 +202,19 @@ func (s *State) Load() error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("parsing state file: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// A state file saved before each record value was stored once can
+	// hold a hostname's CNAME once for every record type asked for.
+	// Each value is kept once, so the first check does not see a
+	// record change.
+	for _, hs := range snapshot.Hostnames {
+		for _, ns := range hs.RecordsByNameserver {
+			for recordType, values := range ns.Records {
+				slices.Sort(values)
+				ns.Records[recordType] = slices.Compact(values)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	s.snapshot = &snapshot
 	s.log.Info("loaded state from disk", "path", path)
 

internal/state/state_test.go

@@ -277,6 +277,59 @@ func TestLoadStateFromBeforeCNAMEAddresses(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestLoadStateWithRepeatedValues loads a state file saved when a
+// hostname's CNAME was stored once for every record type asked for.
+// Each value must load once, and every different value must load.
+func TestLoadStateWithRepeatedValues(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+
+	data := []byte(`{
+		"version": 1,
+		"hostnames": {
+			"www.example.com": {
+				"recordsByNameserver": {
+					"ns1.example.com.": {
+						"records": {
+							"A": ["192.0.2.2", "192.0.2.1", "192.0.2.2", "192.0.2.1"],
+							"CNAME": ["a.example.net.", "a.example.net.", "a.example.net."]
+						},
+						"status": "ok"
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}`)
+
+	err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "state.json"), data, 0o600)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("writing state file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	s := state.NewForTestWithDataDir(dir)
+
+	err = s.Load()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Load() error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	hs, ok := s.GetHostnameState(testHostname)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("missing hostname " + testHostname)
+	}
+
+	want := map[string][]string{
+		"A":     {"192.0.2.1", "192.0.2.2"},
+		"CNAME": {"a.example.net."},
+	}
+
+	got := hs.RecordsByNameserver[testNS1].Records
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("records: got %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestSaveLoadRoundTrip_Hostnames verifies hostname data survives a save/load cycle.
 func TestSaveLoadRoundTrip_Hostnames(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()

internal/watcher/inconsistency_test.go

@@ -183,3 +183,58 @@ func TestInconsistencyAlert(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// TestFirstCheckAfterRepeatedValuesLoaded saves a state file holding a
+// hostname's CNAME once for every record type asked for, as checks did
+// before each value was stored once, and two addresses each repeated,
+// and loads it. A check that then finds each value once at each
+// nameserver must notify nothing.
+func TestFirstCheckAfterRepeatedValuesLoaded(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const (
+		cnameType = "CNAME"
+		cname     = "c.example.net."
+	)
+
+	cfg := defaultTestConfig(t)
+	repeated := map[string][]string{
+		"A":       {ip2, ip1, ip2, ip1},
+		cnameType: {cname, cname, cname, cname, cname, cname, cname, cname},
+	}
+	once := map[string][]string{"A": {ip1, ip2}, cnameType: {cname}}
+
+	saved := newTestDeps(t, cfg).state
+	saved.SetHostnameState(host, hostnameState(map[string]map[string][]string{
+		nsA: repeated, nsB: repeated,
+	}))
+
+	err := saved.Save()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("saving the state file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	deps := newTestDeps(t, cfg)
+
+	err = deps.state.Load()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("loading the state file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	prev, ok := deps.state.GetHostnameState(host)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("the state file has no state for " + host)
+	}
+
+	current := hostnameState(map[string]map[string][]string{
+		nsA: once, nsB: once,
+	})
+
+	// The hostname change detection uses only the notifier.
+	w := watcher.NewForTest(nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, deps.notifier)
+	w.DetectHostnameChanges(t.Context(), host, prev, current)
+
+	if got := deps.notifier.getNotifications(); len(got) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("sent %v, want no notification", got)
+	}
+}