Another newbie question...

[EMS]

The scenario...

My server Server1.mydomain.com is provided by mainhost.com who has ns servers ns1.mainhost.com AND ns2.mainhost.com

Currently, Server1.mydomain.com is not updating its own ns records and relies on the admin (me) to make changes via a page at a domain registrar.

The intended outcome...

I want Server1.mydomain.com to be able to automatically update the ns records for its hosted domains and have these propogate - also be able to create sub domains automatically on the request of hosted accounts.

For the benefit of myself and other newbies - would someone be kind enough to write a brief numbered list on how to do this within WHM ?

 

[rpmws]

register a domain (or use one you have) for ns and ns2 dns. go to registrar and create those nameservers with 2 IPs you have on that box of yours. Make sure bind is working and that when you create accounts that the proper nameservers show up on the zones. Now your box will be it's own nameserver and resolve internal and external domains. Just make sure any domains that are going to be on that box use your new nameservers. This is how many of us use cpanel machines for stand alone hosting solutions. Many of us do this as separate boxes with their own dns servers on each. The good thing about this is if you have 5 full servers and one goes down you only have 20% of your business down. If you had a dedicated dns server and anything happened to the domain at the NIC or the machine itself all your sites go down and eventually nothing works.

I have been running cpanel like this for 3 years almost and it has proven great. The theory that you need different nameservers on different machines is stupid. If you have one box hosting dns for itself as well as mail and http. You only have one server to keep runing. When you split things up you have a dns machine to worry about as well as the http machine. Either one goes down you are screwed. It's twice as likely that you will have a problem when you have 2 machines involved than when you have one. This is my theory anyway and I think it's the basic thought of how cpanel machines can be used as stand alone hosting solutions. Hell I have seen people setup a box with one IP. use the same IP for both ns and ns2 and run ssl all on 1 IP. hehe only one IP to worry about huh?

 

[EMS]

Thanks for that.

With only 1 Ip address, I presume I can just use any valid nameserver (such as one from the registrar) for nameserver 2 ?

 

[rpmws]

If you use the one at the registrar (example: ns.register.com) that nameserver won't containg authorative zones for the domains unless you manually go in and modify the settings in each domain. Also the domains must be registered by that registrar. That's no good.

You can actually use the same IP in many cases for more than one nameserver and in fact if you had 2 IPs on the box for 2 nameservers it would not matter becuas ethey both resolve to the same box running the same nameserver software.

If you do things like I suggested ..you can simply add an account. The dns is set up and the hosting account is ready. All you have to do is make sure the domain name has your nameservers associated with it. If you do run a true secondary dns server somewhere that have no software sync abality you will have to do things manually when you create zones for parked and real domain accounts.

 

[EMS]

ahh - I understand now.

Thanks again for your help.