DNS Hosting

[retep]

Hi. We've setup a set of fault tolerant and replicating name servers. And provided a web based UI for current customers to add and manage multiple zones.

The DNS settings are only 'live' for your domain after you tell your domain name registrar to use our name servers. So you are free to setup a few zones just to try it out. Delete the zone later on if you are not going to use it.

The UI is pretty basic at the moment, but we thought we would get it out early. Then extend it based on what people want/need. So your feedback is appreciated.

On the todo list: support for TXT records (e.g. for SPF); and the option of adding one of our servers as a backup mx server (which is tangengetally dns related). Also, more dns record validation (a la the great service at http://dnsreport.com)

For more info, see our DNS Hosting Guide (http://rimuhosting.com/dns/aboutdns.jsp)

[joe]

Does this dns hosting work for other domains that we may be hosting from our vps? I am currently running bind to do that but if i do _need_ to then I wont :)

[retep]

Yep. The DNS works for multiple zones (domains). And works for domains/IPs you're not hosting on your VPS.

I haven't put a specific limit on the number of zones per customer. Just 'keep it reasonable'.

[retep]

Update: The manager UI now supports any record type (including TXT). And we now have a backup MX service on offer (see http://forums.rimuhosting.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=35)

[joe]

played with it some. added a couple zones. really easy. great work guys!

[dpoon]

Nice new feature, thanks!

May I suggest adding the ability to configure reverse DNS entries for Rimu IP addresses?

[retep]

Yeah, we're working/thinking on that. We use a variety of data centers. And each have their own procedures/methods for setting up rdns. Which makes it a bit tricky to automate via our control panel.

But if you pop in a support ticket with the IP/host name we'll certainly do it manually for you.

[alexander]

When you add the same NS for the second time by mistake, it is impossible to delete duplicated NS.

[retep]

Hi. I ticked the delete checkbox, hit delete and the duplicate NS record was deleted.

[alexander]

:) No, did not work for me - didn't have a check box "Delete" at all!
Had to delete the whole zone and create it again

[raintonr]

I like this a lot... Zoneedit gives me the sh*ts with all those confirmations.

One observation though - when you change the master IP for a slave all the current data is lost for that zone until the next refresh. Don't like that - can we make it an option to trash it and refresh?

Will you be supporting Dynamic DNS clients in the future too?

[retep]

I used to not delete the dns data when the master IP was set. But then you end up with a bunch of records on the secondary not on the primary.

So what I do now is delete them, then queue up a zone refresh. Which should just take a minute to do.

[raintonr]

Nah... don't like that, 'cos then when the refresh fails you're left with a useless DNS entry.

If you are going to do this, I reckon the refresh should be instant, and not delete records if the instant update fails.

Of course, I'm not sure what logic you are using, but going on what you've said, it might be that when one removes an entry on a remote master, it won't get deleted from the Rimuhosting slave?

I mean, how else do you end up wioth '"...bunch of records on the secondary not on the primary."?

[retep]

If you don't delete records after switching to the master then they remain. When the server grabs records from the master I don't believe it deletes the ones that were there already.

You can hit 'refresh' if the first refresh fails. And the refresh eventually has to work, or the server isn't much use as a secondary. Any you may as well not use the master and duplicate the records yourself.

What actually happened when you were setting things up? Was there a problem doing the refresh? And then some reason you couldn't queue up another refresh (or just wait for the regular refresh period to come around).

[raintonr]

So Zoneedit have had a DDOS attack today and both nameservers for my domains are down, and therefore they effectively are.

Hence I thought it would be a good idea to use your server, if only as a backup measure.

I wanted to setup a zone and have it as a slave, the master being at Zoneedit. That's unavailable now of course, so I made you the master and entered a few records. Then I thought, I could change it to a slave and when Zoneedit comes back all the other records, etc. will refresh.

Well, this isn't the case of couse, entering the master's IP zapped all records for that zone.

Don't stress too much, this isn't going to happen often of course and I'm happy to leave you as the master with limited records until this attack is over.

You had to ask, huh? ;)

[Mike Henry]

This might be nit-picking but testing with dnsreport.com yields a SOA warning regarding the SOA Serial Number, because of a simple increment.

I am aware that this is not a problem, but it would be nice to have 100% PASS on dnsreport.com... :wink:

Thanks for an excellent service!

/Mike

[dpoon]

Would it be difficult to support wildcard DNS? If I try to add an A record using * as the host name, I get an error saying that * is not a legal character.

[sam]

am i correcting in thinking your servers don't support notify when set as slaves? or is my setup just messed up?

[retep]

We should support notifies from master servers. The notifies would need to be coming from the master server per your SOA record. Check that? If you pop in a support ticket with us letting me know the domain and I'll see what is going on.

Wildcard dns is not possible at the moment (mainly because it just doesn't pass the UI validation). I have it on my todo list to revisit the topic and check our back end dns servers (powerdns) support it.

[retep]

OK, we now have wildcard *.domain.com support.

And support for dynamic ips (http://rimuhosting.com/dns/dyndns.jsp)