I have 3 PowerDNS servers setup. The master/primary server (called "authns") where all domain and host changes are made, and two slave servers (ns1 and ns2) that are intended for clients to query. I am trying to use Native replication with MySQL as a backend. All servers are non-recursive and intended only to provide clients with host data on the domains I am managing. I have the mysql replication working - when a change is made in the powerdns database on authns, the change is replicated in the databases on ns1 and ns2. My question is: if all servers are functioning as authoritative servers and domain data replication is happening through mysql, would the pdns.conf file look identical on all servers? Why the need to declare authns as master=yes and ns1/ns2 as slave=yes? I'm looking for an example of a pdns.conf file for a similar architecture for the servers in question. Below is a picture of the architecture to hopefully make it clearer.
Since no response to my question, after much trial and error, I will answer it in case it helps someone else.
The answer is yes - pdns.conf is the same on all ns servers. You can even architect it such that you do not need powerdns running on authns. Just let it run on the nameservers identified in the DNS for your domain(s). Use authns as the primary database and you only need to manage the mysql database on authns. authns will contain the powerdns database infrastructure, but you do not need the powerdns application.