Install Bind 9.9.4 in Centos on 2 desktop with ns1.localdomain.com & ns2.localdomain.com. When zone transfer from ns1 to ns2, the zone file will become binary from. Below is configuration file and message log

ns1.localdomain.com (./etc/named.conf)
options {
directory "/var/named";
allow-transfer { 192.168.8.35; 192.168.8.75; };
};

zone "." IN {
type hint;
file "named.root";
};

zone "ml.com.my" IN {
type master;
file "zone/ml.com.my.zone";
};

/var/named/zone/ml.com.my.zone
$ORIGIN .
$TTL 3600 ; 1 hour
ml.com.my IN SOA ml.com.my. admin.ml.com.my. (
2014080102 ; serial
900 ; refresh (15 minutes)
600 ; retry (10 minutes)
86400 ; expire (1 day)
3600 ; minimum (1 hour)
)
NS alpha.ml.com.my.
NS beta.ml.com.my.
A 192.168.8.75
$ORIGIN ml.com.my.
alpha A 192.168.8.75
beta A 192.168.8.35

ns2.localdomain.com (/etc/named.conf)
options {
directory "/var/named";
allow-transfer { 192.168.8.35; 192.168.8.75; };
};

zone "." IN {
type hint;
file "named.root";
};

zone "ml.com.my.zone" IN {
type slave;
file "zone/ml.com.my.zone";
masters { 192.168.8.75; };
};

Message log in ns1.localdomain.com
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: open: /etc/named/rndc.key: file not found
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: couldn't add command channel 127.0.0.1#953: file not found
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: open: /etc/named/rndc.key: file not found
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: couldn't add command channel ::1#953: file not found
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: the working directory is not writable
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: reloading configuration succeeded
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: reloading zones succeeded
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: zone ml.com.my/IN: loaded serial 2014080109
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: zone ml.com.my/IN: sending notifies (serial 2014080109)
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: all zones loaded
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: running
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: client 192.168.8.35#34052 (ml.com.my): transfer of 'ml.com.my/IN': AXFR-style IXFR started
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: client 192.168.8.35#34052 (ml.com.my): transfer of 'ml.com.my/IN': AXFR-style IXFR ended
Aug 5 15:54:04 alpha named[14873]: client 192.168.8.35#35555: received notify for zone 'ml.com.my'

Message log on ns2.localdomain.com
Aug 5 21:05:07 beta named[1280]: open: /etc/named/rndc.key: file not found
Aug 5 21:05:07 beta named[1280]: couldn't add command channel 127.0.0.1#953: file not found
Aug 5 21:05:07 beta named[1280]: open: /etc/named/rndc.key: file not found
Aug 5 21:05:07 beta named[1280]: couldn't add command channel ::1#953: file not found
Aug 5 21:05:07 beta named[1280]: reloading configuration succeeded
Aug 5 21:05:07 beta named[1280]: reloading zones succeeded
Aug 5 21:05:07 beta named[1280]: all zones loaded
Aug 5 21:05:07 beta named[1280]: running
Aug 6 00:33:29 beta named[1280]: client 192.168.8.75#40488: received notify for zone 'ml.com.my'
Aug 6 00:33:29 beta named[1280]: zone ml.com.my/IN: Transfer started.
Aug 6 00:33:29 beta named[1280]: transfer of 'ml.com.my/IN' from 192.168.8.75#53: connected using 192.168.8.35#34052
Aug 6 00:33:29 beta named[1280]: zone ml.com.my/IN: transferred serial 2014080109
Aug 6 00:33:29 beta named[1280]: transfer of 'ml.com.my/IN' from 192.168.8.75#53: Transfer completed: 1 messages, 7 records, 196 bytes, 0.001 secs (196000 bytes/sec)
Aug 6 00:33:29 beta named[1280]: zone ml.com.my/IN: sending notifies (serial 2014080109)

When vi ml.com.my.zone in ns2.localdomain.com. it will display binary form as below :
^@^@^@^B^@^@^ASá^GY^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@Q^@^A^@^F^@^@^@^@^@^@^P^@^@^@^@^K^Bml^Ccom^Bmy^@^@0^ Bml^Ccom^Bmy^@^Eadmin^B^Bml^Ccom^@x^Llm^A^A^C<84>^@^@^BX^@^AQ<8Q>^Q^Q^N^P^Q^QD~Q^A^@^N^@^@^@^@^N^P^@ ^K^Bml^Ccom^Bmy^@^@^P^Dbeta^Bml^Ccom^bmy^@^@^Q^Ealpha^Bml^Ccom^Bmy^@^@^@^@^+^A^@^@^@^@^@^N^P^@^@^@^A ^@^Q^Ealpha^@ml^Ccom^Bmy^@^@^DÃÃ^HK^@^@^@*^@^A^@^@^@^@^N^P^@^A^@^P^Dbeta^ml^Ccom^Bmy^@^@^DÃÃ^HK^@^@^ @*^@^A^@^A^@^@^@^@^N^P^@^@^@^A^@^P^Dbeta^ml^Ccom^Bmy^@^@^DÃÃ^H^@^@^@)^@^A^@^@^@^@^@^N^P^@^@^@^A^@^O^ Cwww^Bml^Ccom^Bmy^@^@^DÃÃ^HK

that's correct. use "named-journalprint /path/to/zone/journal/file.jnl" to see it in human readable form.

Why it transform to binary form instead of human readble form? Install centos 6.5 with build in bind 9.8.4 doesn't encounter binary form in secondary server. Is it security feature for Bind 9.9.5. Can it preset when zone transfer to secondary, it become human readable form instead of binary form. Kindly advise.

Why does it matter?? it's more efficient for the server to maintain data it can understand, and you have a simple way to read it.