DNS ONLY configuration

[taenkarth]

Ok here goes.

1. I have two cPanel WHM servers hosting many domains under one address.
2. The cPanel boxes are currently internal address and external is being NAT into it.
3. DNS Servers are on two seperate Windows boxes and DNS is not being done on any of the cPanel boxes.
4. I have setup two DNS Servers and have them configured.

I want both WHM servers to be able to synchronize with the DNS ONLY servers so that my users can manage their own DNS and subdomains, etc.

I recently learned that this is not supported scenario by cPanel so I have a few questions.

1. I would like to renumber my boxes to external addresses and not use NAT at all. What would this entail on the cPanel side of things? I understand the network/firewall side of it.
2. How can I get my DNS from Windows to my boxes? Does it have to be manually?
3. If I set my DNS cluster up right now in my current config would:
a. my clients be affected? Externally DNS would still be resolving to my windows boxes.
b. Could I make all the neccessary changes in WHM and then repoint all my domains to the new DNS servers when complete?
4. Has anyone got this configuration working behind NAT?

Please let me know if you have any other questions and I will be glad to supply the information. Other scenarios? Go for it...I need to streamline this hosting process and this seems to be the best step forward using what I have.

Thanks in advance.

[cPanelDavidG]

Ok here goes.

1. I have two cPanel WHM servers hosting many domains under one address.
2. The cPanel boxes are currently internal address and external is being NAT into it.
3. DNS Servers are on two seperate Windows boxes and DNS is not being done on any of the cPanel boxes.
4. I have setup two DNS Servers and have them configured.

I want both WHM servers to be able to synchronize with the DNS ONLY servers so that my users can manage their own DNS and subdomains, etc.

I recently learned that this is not supported scenario by cPanel so I have a few questions.

1. I would like to renumber my boxes to external addresses and not use NAT at all. What would this entail on the cPanel side of things? I understand the network/firewall side of it.

You would license the publicly visible static IP addresses of your cPanel/WHM servers. You don't need to license every IP, just the primary IP address of each cPanel/WHM server. No two cPanel/WHM servers should be placed behind the same IP address, our licensing system doesn't like that.

2. How can I get my DNS from Windows to my boxes? Does it have to be manually?
3. If I set my DNS cluster up right now in my current config would:
a. my clients be affected? Externally DNS would still be resolving to my windows boxes.
b. Could I make all the neccessary changes in WHM and then repoint all my domains to the new DNS servers when complete?
4. Has anyone got this configuration working behind NAT?

Please let me know if you have any other questions and I will be glad to supply the information. Other scenarios? Go for it...I need to streamline this hosting process and this seems to be the best step forward using what I have.

Thanks in advance.

The easiest way to set up DNS clustering would be to install DNSONLY on separate Linux/FreeBSD systems or by doing a DNS cluster among the cPanel/WHM server. cPanel/WHM only natively supports DNS Clustering with cPanel/WHM and cPanel DNSONLY servers. Any other implementation would be something you would need to implement yourself.