New install: domain scheme / layout options

nqnoc

Hi,

I will do a new Enhance installation and I have 2 domains available to use. I can use both or just one for the Enhance installation, depending on the route I take.

I appreciate all the feedback and alternative ideas. Also how is your configurated?

::: USING ONLY 1 DOMAIN :::
(all DNS is managed by Enhance):

Control Panel: cp.domain1.com
DNS 1: ns1.domain1.com
DNS 2: ns2.domain1.com
DB / Mail / Web Servers: All will use server hostnames from domain 1.com. Example: web01.domain1.com / mail01.domain1.com

::: USING 2 DOMAINS :::
(DNS for control panel hosted on external provider. N11/Ns2 hosted on Enhance).

Control Panel: cp.domain1.com
DNS 2: ns1.domain2.com
DNS 2: ns2.domain2.com
DB / Mail / Web Servers: All will use server hostnames from domain 2.com. Example: web01.domain2.com / mail01.domain2.com

One of the advantages I see in using a 2 domain setup, Is that in case the Enhance DNS is down, the control panel will still be working, since I will host the DNS outside Enhance. Also, it seems allow more flexibility in the future for scaling and organizing.

The only advantage I see in using 1 domain setup, is it that can be more simple for my clients, only 1 domain in use.

Thanks

twest

You'd get the same benefit using 1 domain in this setup just by hosting that domain DNS outside enhance.

In fact, I think it would be weird to host the main domain on the enhance DNS, as you'd have to play with your local hosts file just to connect to the panel during initial setup to get the servers running.

I tried a second domain in order to get it to work with Cloudflare for staging sites, but that ultimately failed so I turned off all staging site functionality as I'm not willing to use it in its current state.

Don't see any benefit at all to using a second domain in the panel, there's no redundancy it can add.

nqnoc

Hi,

Thanks for the response @twest

So when you say you use only 1 domain hosted outside Enhance, you are not using your own custom nameservers setup on Enhance?

The thing is that I want to create and use my own custom DNS Nameservers so clients can point there domains to my own custom Nameservers.

And for that I think I need to host the domain used for the nameservers in Enhance local DNS cluster, correct? Or can I simple use own nameservers on a external DNS provider, just by creating there A Records or NS Servers records?

Thanks

twest

nqnoc yes you can have your main domain hosted elsewhere. For example my main domain is registered at Namecheap, and the DNS is at Cloudflare.

I did initially setup the DNS servers in enhance, but have since removed them and only using Cloudflare for all sites.

Your main domain does not need to be hosted on the DNS server for them to work. You only need your staging site domain to be hosted on Enhance DNS in order for staging site functionality to work automatic. So your main domain can have DNS elsewhere (like Cloudflare) and then your staging sites domain can have DNS hosted in your enhance cluster.

Setup for NS = set glue records that point at your NS domain names at your domain registrar (ns1.website.com, etc). Then wherever you have your DNS hosted (Cloudflare, etc) you need to add records for that NS, which would be like
A - ns1 - 123.123.123 (the NS server ip)

Once the glue records are in place, and the DNS records are in place, then your DNS servers will work.

nqnoc

twest

Hi @twest

Ok, now I seem to understand… I think what I was missing was the ability of using A Records for setting up the nameservers, instead of creating NS records.

So, I will go with the option of using only 1 domain for my entire Enhance, and that domain DNS will be hosted on a 3rd party DNS provider outside Enhance.

Regarding DNS, I will still setup 2x DNS servers on Enhance, with the only objective of me having and providing my own custom Nameservers DNS records, to where my clients can point their domain and then manage their DNS on Enhance. At the registrar my domain will point to the nameservers on my 3rd party DNS provider. I will then on the DNS of the 3rd party DNS provider create 2x A Records pointing ns1.ns2.mydomain.com to my Enhance 2x DNS Servers IPs.

Setup as follows:
a) CP: cp.mydomain.com
b) 2x DNS Servers (ns.1/ns2.mydomain.com -> A Records for NS!/NS2 hosted outside Enhance)
c) DB/Web Servers (web01.,web02...mydomain.com)
d) Mail Servers (mail01.,mail01.,mydomain.com)
e) Backup Server (backup01.,backup02.mydomain.com)

Is my setup correct? This way I can provide my own custom nameservers to my clients without the need of having the nameserver domain DNS hosted on Enhance.

Thanks

twest

nqnoc yes that setup will work! Don't forget custom DNS servers requires both the glue records at your registrar and also the DNS entries for them to work. I always forget that part 😃

Something else to keep in mind about your setup. We don't currently have a way of backing up or restoring the control panel server. That feature is coming in one of the next updates though, so it will be soon where you can have a backup main control panel. In the meantime, I would highly recommend putting it on a VPS with a provider that you trust their VPS backups - so if your panel server dies you can restore it from the VPS providers backups.

nqnoc

twest

"Don't forget custom DNS servers requires both the glue records at your registrar and also the DNS entries for them to work."

That is my issue / problem. That is the part I still not understand…

Let’s assume I want to use 1 single domain for all my Enhance installation, including setting up my own custom nameservers.

If that domain DNS is hosted outside Enhance, let’s say Namecheap as an example, it means that at the Registrar (Namecheap), it must be pointed to the 2 Namecheap Nameservers and not the Enhance Custom DNS Nameservers.

Having that in mind, there is no way to make a full Enhance installation (all the servers, example: cp.mydomain.com) and also having custom Nameservers (ns1/ns2.mydomain.com) when the DNS hosted on a 3rd party provider?

What I’m I missing? Sorry for all the questions, but DNS is not my strong area…

Just want to know the best way to install Enhance and having my own custom nameservers using 1 domain for both the control panel and the nameservers.

Thanks

twest

nqnoc yeah you're overthinking it a bit lol

Your domain is just being used as a map. It's telling other DNS servers where to find your DNS servers to find the DNS of domains hosting their DNS with you. Where you host your domain's DNS doesn't matter, it's just a map/directory that tells what things are named and where they are.

So you have your DNS at Namecheap, or anywhere, you create the glue records in the settings:
ns1.domain.com
ns2.domain.com

Then you add your DNS records:
A: ns1 123.123.123
A: ns2 456.456.456

That's it, now your custom NS records are in place, it's done.

Now you go to your enhance cluster and setup the DNS role on your DNS server, just add the NS hostname to the server, and add the NS in the enhance settings (under platform? Or service? One of those).

That's it, the DNS servers work now.

nqnoc

twest

Hi,

Sorry… still confused. Let me try to simplify, explaining this in a different way.

My domain is domain1.com was registered at Namecheap and at the moment it uses Namecheap DNS servers and I want it to continue to use Namecheap DNS. So, on the registrar panel (namecheap), this domain Nameservers are pointed to Namecheap DNS servers as below:

ns1.namecheap.com
ns2.namecheap.com

Then to install Enhance control panel I need to create a A Record on my DNS hosted on Namecheap, pointing CP subdomain to my Enhance control panel server:

A Record > cp.domain1.com > IP of my CP panel

Then after Enhance CP installation I will add/install no my Enhance my 2 DNS servers to have my own nameservers, where my clients can point their domains. They should be:

ns1.domain1.com – IP: My DNS server 1 IP
ns2.domain1.com – IP: My DNS server 2 IP

So where do I register/add this NS records? If using my current DNS at namecheap, I can only add them as A Records. I cannot create/add these records on my Registrar (Namecheap) as DNS Nameservers Glue Records.

For me to create/add them on Registrar (namecheap) as Glue Nameservers Records, my domain will point directly to them, ignoring my namecheap DNS.

So what I’m missing? It seems like using 1 domain, I cannot have it be used for CP subdomain and my own nameservers.

Thanks!

xyzulu

nqnoc cannot create/add these records on my Registrar (Namecheap) as DNS Nameservers Glue Records

You can. https://www.namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/768/10/how-do-i-register-personal-nameservers-for-my-domain/

nqnoc

xyzulu

Yes, I can, but doing that will point my domain to my Enhance DNS servers and not my current DNS hosted on Namecheap.

xyzulu

No you don’t. This is a common misconception with glue records.

nqnoc

xyzulu
Can you please explain? How do I register my own custom nameservers on my Registrar (namecheap) without having my domain pointed at them (keeping my domain pointed to namecheap dns nameservers)?

twest

nqnoc just follow the simple steps that have already been explained.

nqnoc

Hi,

I have started the Enhance installation and for now I have setup the Control Panel.

The DNS for domain1.com is hosted on a 3rd party provider Namecheap. So, for the control panel as you can see below, I created an A Record on Namecheap DNS to point cp.domain1.com to my CP server IP.

cp.domain1.com (A Record on Namecheap DNS)

CP is working and now I now want to add/setup my own custom DNS Nameservers, to where my clients can point their domains. I already have 2 clean servers ready to added as DNS Roles in Enhance. The nameservers names should be:

ns1.domain1.com > Pointed to my DNS 1 Server IP
ns2.domain1.com > Pointed to my DNS 2 Server IP

In terms of DNS, what exactly do I need to do now in order to setup my own nameservers? Do I just need to add them as A Records to my current Namecheap DNS?

A Record on Namecheap DNS > ns1.domain1.com > Pointed to my DNS 1 Server IP
A Record on Namecheap DNS > ns2.domain1.com > Pointed to my DNS 2 Server IP

Cannot make any changes on my Registrar since my domain DNS is pointed at their own DNS. The only way at the Registrar to create nameservers Glue Records is to have the domain pointed/use them and if I do that, mydomain1.com will no longer be pointed to my Registrar DNS making me loose of my current DNS, including the before created A Record for the Control Panel.

Thanks

xyzulu

nqnoc The only way at the Registrar to create nameservers Glue Records is to have the domain pointed/use them

This is not correct. At the link I shared before you will find this:

The nameservers registration will not automatically point your domain name to the nameservers you've created.

twest

You're confusing glue records with your domains NS. They're not the same thing. You don't change your domains NS, you add the glue records in Namecheap in the specific area they have setup specifically for glue records.

Once again, you're not changing the NS of your domain. You're ADDING glue records in their special glue records section. I'm sure they have a guide for this in their docs, I've done it several times on Namecheap.

twest

You got this bruh, lol

https://www.namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/768/10/how-do-i-register-personal-nameservers-for-my-domain/

nqnoc

Hi @xyzulu and @twest

I finally understand! Now I know that at the Registrar I can create Glue Records without change my domain nameservers.
Already setup and all looks fine! Thanks again for all the help.

The only thing to have in attention (specially for building / beta phase) is the at least 1 domain must be using the DNS Zone for the Glue Records created. If not they can be deleted after 30 days:

From Namecheap Docs:

"For .COM, .NET, .CC, .NAME TLDs: According to Verisign's unused objects policy, if no domain from Verisign zone (.com, .net, .cc, .name) are using created personal name servers, the name servers are purged by the registry after 30 days of no use."

twest

nqnoc yes that's pretty universal for running DNS servers, they need to be put to use or they stop working 🙂