dns migration

fyi: managed dns services - edgedirector.com

Migration of dns services to edgedirector.com is a simple three step process.


create the required dns records using the web based
control panel

change the NS and SOA records on your existing dns servers
to point at the edgedirector dns servers

change the name server setting for your domain at your
domain name registrar

The original dns servers should remain operational until isp dns caches have had a chance to update themselves. If this is not a viable option, then you must disable the dns services on the original dns servers immediately. This will force most modern dns servers to drop the out of date records and look for the correct records. If the dns server is a shared dns server that will remain in operation, ensure that your dns zone is deleted by the dns administrator for the original servers.

At a minimum, the NS and SOA records at the original servers must reflect the change in name servers. These final steps will prevent many mysterious propagation failures caused by the use of ill behaved caches.

dns and server migration

Careful dns management can help you to achieve a seamless migration from one server to another.

The goal is to be able to service all users during the server migration period even if they are using stale dns record data. The ttl of the dns records is progressively shortened prior to the availability of the new server to minimise the existence of stale dns records in caching dns servers used by the user community.

The steps involved when third party managed dns hosting is employed are:


decide on a scheduled migration date

identify the affected address records

set the ttl of the records to be one half or less
of the remaining time until migration

duplicate the content on the new server

progressively shorten the record ttl values to be
one half or less of the remaining time

at cutover time, change the address records to point
at the new server and the ttl to the normal value

keep the old servers running until traffic no longer
arrives at the old servers based upon the old dns records

decommission old servers