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How do I migrate my DNSONLY server to a new DNSONLY server?

cPanelAaronH
  • Updated

Introduction

There may be times you need to move the DNSONLY hosting to a new server. The following information is aimed at helping better understand the process needed to move the zones to a new server.

 

Procedure

Generally, since a cluster affords you redundancy in the event one server is down, you can reinstall the OS and cPanel DNSONLY on each server one at a time. Once the DNSONLY installation completes, re-add the server via WHM Home >> Clusters >> DNS Cluster on each cPanel server that syncs it's zones to the cluster.

 

  1. Install the DNSONLY version of cPanel on the new servers that you want to use.

  2. Login to WHM on the DNS Only server
  3. -- Navigate to DNS cluster
  4. -- Click to Enable the DNS cluster service

  5. Login to WHM on the web hosting server
  6. -- Navigate to DNS cluster
  7. -- Click to Enable the DNS cluster service
  8. -- Click Configure under "Add a new server to the cluster".
  9. -- Add the server details in the fields for form "cPanel DNS Remote Configuration".

  10. When choosing a role, you can select sync or write mode.
    -- Sync will ensure that all changes remain in sync.
    -- Write mode will ensure that only changes are pushed to the DNS server.

  11. After saving the form, you can perform a manual sync via the sync section of WHM.
  12.  -- WHM Home >> DNS Functions >> Synchronize DNS Records

  13. The default option should be enough to sync everything to the new DNS server.
  14. -- Synchronize all zones to all servers 

If you are planning to use use the new IP, then you'll need to update any nameserver records with the new DNSONLY server's IP address. So if NS1 had 1.1.1.1 and the new server is 2.2.2.2, you need to make this change at the domain registrar, and in the Zone on the DNSONLY cluster for NS1 and modify that IP to point to the new server.

If the old IP addresses of the old server is going to be used for the new server, remove the old DNSONLY server from the cluster and shut the server down to avoid IP conflicts.


Change the IP on the new DNS only server and re-add the new DNSONLY server to the cluster again.

 

How do I change the primary IP of my cPanel server


If you have more than one server, repeat this for each server that needs to be migrated. For additional information on Cluster Configurations, please refer to the following:

 

Guide to DNS Cluster Configurations - cPanel Knowledge Base - cPanel Documentation

DNS Cluster

Synchronize DNS Records

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