Sync BIND DNS Server with dyndns or other DNS services?

Submitted by AlexCook on Wed, 01/05/2011 - 10:52

Hi there,

Short question: Can virtualmin dns sync with DNS service providers like dyndns?

Explanation: I'm currently hosting my DNS server on the same server as my web server... which isn't a good idea. Emails occassitionally bounce back and since we're running a b2b app I am trying to find a better, more reliable solution.

I love the virtualmin setup - how it automatically creates my DNS records - badass.

I've signed up for dyndns: http://www.dyndns.com/services/dynectsmb

I plan on using their API to write the DNS records, but before I do that, do you have some automated way for virtualmin to somehow write to their API? Would you consider writing that?

Thanks so much

Alex

Status: 
Closed (fixed)

Comments

Submitted by JamieCameron on Wed, 01/05/2011 - 12:10

Virtualmin can update a dydns entry automatically - this is set at Addresses and Networking -> Dynamic DNS Update.

I strongly recommend against hosting your DNS domain (or any serious website) on a system with a dynamic IP though ... especially DNS.

Submitted by AlexCook on Wed, 01/05/2011 - 12:20

Oh, cool! I should have digged deeper - thanks.

I strongly recommend against hosting your DNS domain (or any serious website) on a system with a dynamic IP though ... especially DNS. What do you mean by that? Is dyndns not a good solution? Big brands like zappos and 37signals use them for DNS hosting - am I missing something?

Submitted by JamieCameron on Wed, 01/05/2011 - 12:49

I don't recommend using a system with a dynamic IP to host websites, as if the IP changes it can take time for that change to be visible to all clients world-wide, during which your site will be in-accessible.

Also, if you host a DNS domain on a machine with a dynamic IP, it will be un-resolvable until other nameservers detect that the IP of the host for the NS records for the domain has changed..

Submitted by AlexCook on Wed, 01/05/2011 - 13:10

Alright. I don't think we're on the same page. I don't mean to question your feedback - I appreciate it alot - but if zappos and 37signals are using dyndns then it must be a good idea.

Maybe you misread it - I'm talking about the company - http://dynDNS.com, specifically their SMB solution: http://www.dyndns.com/services/dynectsmb/

Alex

Submitted by JamieCameron on Wed, 01/05/2011 - 14:41

Oh, I was just talking about the dynDNS service that updates your IP if the dynamically assigned IP for your system changes. If you are just using dynDNS for regular DNS hosting, that will work fine ..

Submitted by Locutus on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 07:15

One thing I'd like to note here if I may:

Why shouldn't it be a good idea to host the DNS zones on the same machine as the web page? I mean, if the web site / mail server goes down, it does not really matter if the hostname still resolves, right? :)

I also don't see what emails bouncing back would have to do with the nameserver running on the same host as probably the mail server? Or did I misunderstand something there?

Submitted by JamieCameron on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 12:14

Hosting DNS and mail on the same machine is fine ... my only concern was with hosting on a dynamic IP.

You should always have a secondary DNS server though, or else mail will bounce (instead of just being delayed) if your primary DNS goes down.

Submitted by Locutus on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 15:34

Sorry, I was a bit unclear... I was referring to the original poster's first post, not to what Jamie wrote. :) I agree with all that Jamie said. Good point about the mail bounces, yeah.

Submitted by Issues on Thu, 01/20/2011 - 18:50

Automatically closed -- issue fixed for 2 weeks with no activity.