---
name: "ares_parse_soa_reply"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "c-ares"
version: "1.34.9-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ares_parse_soa_reply"
---

# ares\_parse\_soa\_reply(3)

Parse a reply to a DNS query of type SOA

## NAME

ares\_parse\_soa\_reply - Parse a reply to a DNS query of type SOA

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <ares.h>
int ares_parse_soa_reply(const unsigned char* abuf, int alen,
                         struct ares_soa_reply** soa_out);
```

## DESCRIPTION

The **ares\_parse\_soa\_reply** function parses the response to a query of type SOA into a *struct ares\_soa\_reply*. The parameters *abuf* and *alen* give the contents of the response.  The result is stored in allocated memory and a pointer to it stored into the variable pointed to by *soa\_out*. It is the caller's responsibility to free the resulting *soa\_out* structure when it is no longer needed using the function **[ares\_free\_data(3)](/ares_free_data/3.md)**.

The structure  *ares\_soa\_reply* contains the following fields:

```
struct ares_soa_reply {
	char *nsname;
	char *hostmaster;
	unsigned int serial;
	unsigned int refresh;
	unsigned int retry;
	unsigned int expire;
	unsigned int minttl;
};
```

## RETURN VALUES

**ares\_parse\_soa\_reply** can return any of the following values:

- **ARES\_SUCCESS**

  The response was successfully parsed.

- **ARES\_EBADRESP**

  The response was malformatted.

- **ARES\_ENODATA**

  The response did not contain an answer to the query.

- **ARES\_ENOMEM**

  Memory was exhausted.

## AVAILABILITY

This function was first introduced in c-ares version 1.9.0.

## SEE ALSO

[**ares\_query**(3)](/ares_query/3.md) [**ares\_free\_data**(3)](/ares_free_data/3.md)