A Comprehensive Guide for DNS Cluster Configurations

1. A Comprehensive Guide for DNS Cluster Configurations

2. Table of Contents • Cluster Members’ Failure Threshold • DNS Cluster Requirements • DNS Cluster Structures • DNS Cluster • DNS • Web Hosting • Managing DNS Clusters

3. DNS Cluster • A DNS (Domain Name System) cluster refers to a collection of nameservers. This groups shares records among each other. It serves the purpose of separating in physical form the nameservers that are handing the web servers’ DNS requests. It makes it possible to configure a DNS cluster, so that servers could be added to a DNS cluster that already exists.

4. DNS • DNS is the abbreviation of Domain Name System. It refers to the naming system used by computers and other resources that are connected to either a private network or to the Internet. It is decentralized as well as hierarchical. It is the DNS that ensures the delegation of the task which caters to the assignment of domain names and mapping those to Internet resources. Moreover, the more easily memorized domain names are translated by it to IP addresses that are numerical. These IP addresses are needed to locate and identify computer services and devices. The technical functionality of the service related to database is also specified by DNS.

5. Web Hosting • In the context of the Internet which is used to browse innumerable websites, web hosting is important to mention. Web Hosting refers to the leasing of server space along with providing the necessary service and technology to make a website accessible over the Internet. There are many website hosting service providers (also referred to as web hosts) that offer various plans for various types of web hosting, such as shared, dedicated, resellers, WordPress, cloud etc. • The terms that are often heard in the context of web hosting are “Top Cloud Hosting Company”, the “Best Website Hosting Company” and the “Best Windows Hosting Company”. These refer to web hosts that excel in the quality of services provided by them.

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7. Managing DNS Clusters • Those users who have the All ACL privilege are able to add to a DNS cluster their own custom DNS servers. Such users who possess this privilege also have the ability to make changes to the cluster members that exist. Modifying DNS cluster settings involves choosing between managing one’s DNS clusters as the root user or in the form of a reseller from the Managing DNS Cluster as: menu. • Prior to the addition of custom DNS servers or making changes to existing cluster members, one is supposed to choose the root setting that is in the Managing DNS Cluster as: menu.

8. Cluster Members’ Failure Threshold • The failure threshold with regard to cluster members’ setting enables the user to specify that particular number of DNS Admin commands that are allowed to fail, prior to WHM disabling a DNS cluster member that is unresponsive. It is advisable to disable an unresponsive DNS cluster member in order to aid improvement in performance. • The steps that need to be followed in order for the failure threshold for cluster members’ setting to be configured are mentioned below- • Step 1- Selection of the desired setting. A user should opt for 10 (Default) to use the default setting. In this setting a cluster member is permitted to fail DNS Admin commands up to 10 times. It is usually recommended to use this setting. Next the second setting should be chosen, so that the custom failure threshold could be entered. It is advisable to increase the count for failure number in those situations where the server down time is frequent and network interruption happens frequently. This ensures that certain cluster members are not marked offline by the system. If the user wants to keep all of the servers in his DNS cluster online perpetually and doesn’t want to consider the number of DNS Admin commands that have failed, then he should opt for “Keep all cluster members online at all times”

9. Cluster Members’ Failure Threshold • Step 2- “Receive a notification when WHM disables an unresponsive cluster member” option should be selected in order to receive notifications in that case when an unresponsive member in the DNS cluster is disabled. Disabled cluster members must be enabled manually. • Step 3- The option to change must be clicked. In the scenario when any cluster member that is in the sync role is found to be offline for a very long period of time, the other server’s zones need to be resynchronized. This keeps the cluster member updated.

10. DNS Cluster Requirements Certain minimum requirements need to be met in order to configure a DNS cluster. These are mentioned below- • A minimum of 2 servers must be present in the clusters. • There must be at least 1 cPanel and WHM server present with cPanel and WHM installed. A scenario involving a DNS cluster that has more than 1 of these, also functions properly. • Every machine that is in the DNS cluster needs to have cPanel and WHM or have a version 11 or higher of cPanel DNS Only installed. This is necessary as some of the features of cPanel and WHM might not function with versions that are old. • The most efficient structure should be considered prior to setting up the DNS cluster. The speed of resolution of DNS requests is determined by the way in which each server is linked. • To digress, terms such as “Top Cloud Hosting Company”, the “Best Website Hosting Company” and the “Best Windows Hosting Company” are used for those web hosts that provide reliable web hosting services.

11. DNS Cluster Structures • Direct links should be used- When there are multiple steps present between a cPanel and WHM and a nameserver, then the speed of servers tend to decrease. It is advisable to link cPanel and WHM server to the DNS servers directly, in order to enhance the performance of the servers. This ensures the elimination of the steps performed by every request. Hence, the DNs requests get resolved swiftly. It is optimal to have a direct link between each of the 2 nameservers and the web server. Such a configuration can be created by one cPanel and WHM server with the need for nameservers that can be one or more in number. • The primary nameserver should be used as an intermediary- If the need arises, the primary nameserver can be placed between the cPanel and WHM server and the nameserver that is secondary. Any intermediate server that gets added will slow the data transfer speed to three times in comparison with that for a direct link. An intermediate nameserver that is present between the web server and that nameserver that is secondary is admissible. For the creation of such a configuration, one cPanel and WHM server with a minimum of 2 nameservers is needed. • Multiple intermediary nameservers should be used- In this configuration multiple steps are used between WHM server and cPanel and nameservers. A minimum of two cPanel and WHM servers along with a minimum of two nameservers is needed for the creation of this configuration. Such a configuration is known to reduce the servers’ response time significantly. This is not a method that is advisable as it reduces performance considerably.

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