I have a VP server with a static ip address, recently bought a domain name. configured the resolv.conf file to query the local VP name servers and changed the domain and hostname accordingly. When I try to do the ns lookup I still get uknown ip address assigned to it, domain does not respond to ping.

Changed the NIS for the domain on the register too.

It might be that i'm missing something (as this is the first time in doing it)

Assistance is much appreciated!

A little confused by that. What do you mean by "local VP name"?

There are different parts to all this:

Name registration: Done via a company like GoDaddy, Verio or Network Solutions (called Registrars).

Name server: You can have your own in which case you need to run something like BIND or TinyNDS. Or most registrars will "host" that for you on their DNS servers so you tell them the entries to make.

Reverse delegation: The name registration provides for "forward" lookups (lookups by name). However to lookup the name by inputting the IP you have to have reverse lookup. While the registrar can delegate name servers to yours they can't delegate IP unless they also provided that. You have to have the company that provides your IP range do that (they have to know the DNS servers just like the registrars do).

resolv.conf points to the name server(s) from your local machine. If your local machine itself is a name server you could point to 127.0.0.1. However resolv.conf itself does not make your machine a name server.