Change hostname and primary nameserver / What to watch for?

jethrodesign

Well-Known Member
Feb 17, 2012
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2
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Root Administrator
Hi, we have a server that was setup for us and uses the same hostname as primary nameserver - abc.example.com.

But 'abc.example.com' was never registered by our provider to be used as a nameserver option for new accounts, and as 'example.com' exists on an entirely unrelated server, we want to make things a bit more simple.

So we want to register our own new domain and assign it properly as the hostname and nameserver(s) (e.g., host.example2.com and ns1.example2.com). We could then create a proper zone file for 'example2.com' and create records for host. and ns1.

It would just make setup of new accounts and zone files much easier to manage.

We currently have 1 live site on this server. It is using the 'unregistered' abc.example.com as the SOA and 1 of the nameservers. The reason it works is because it also has 2 additional NS records for nameservers that our provider setup slave records on.

1) So what types of things do we need to watch for if we update the hostname and nameservers?

2) Is there a preferred order to setting everything up? (e.g., register domain & nameservers on registrar; create an empty cPanel account for domain?; WHM > Change Hostname; WHM > Basic cPanel & WHM Setup; make any adjustments to zone files?; etc.)

3) Are there any other places we need to make changes besides 'Change Hostname', 'Basic cPanel & WHM Setup', create zone file & A records for domain & nameserver?

4) Could there be any downtime for the 1 live account we have? Would that zone file be automatically updated to match new settings, or would we have to change it manually?

THANKS! It looks fairly straight-forward, but I don't fully understand what's going on behind the scenes so want to be certain.
 

quietFinn

Well-Known Member
Feb 4, 2006
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Finland
cPanel Access Level
Root Administrator
I think you are pretty much doing the right things, but a few things:

You say "host.example2.com and ns1.example2.com", but I think you should have host.example2.com, ns1.example2.com & ns2.example2.com.
ns1 & ns2 need to be in 2 separate IP addresses, but host can use one of those.

4) Could there be any downtime for the 1 live account we have? Would that zone file be automatically updated to match new settings, or would we have to change it manually?
You must do the changes manually in the zone file, but there should not be any downtime.

I would do things in this order:

1. create account example2.com
2. in zone file of example2.com add A records for host, ns1 & ns2
3. in zone file of example2.com change name servers (NS records) to ns1 & ns2
4. register ns1 & ns2 in the registrar of example2
5. change name servers of example2.com in the registrar to ns1 & ns2
6. change server's hostname in WHM
7. change name servers in "Basic cPanel & WHM Setup"
8. edit zone templates