Pointers and DNS

hebergence

Verified User
Joined
Feb 23, 2004
Messages
12
Hi,

Pointers are like domains are not the same. The advantage of pointers is that you don't need to configure them, they follow the domain they are pointed to.

That works good for the web server (redirection in apache settings) and the mail server (redirection in exim).

But it does not work for the DNS.

Indeed, either they are like domain and the user can modify them, or they are not like domain and they should follow the dns of the main domain.

But it doesn't work.

I've got a main domain, say 'domain1.com' and 2 pointers, say 'domain2.com' & 'domain3.com'. If I set up 'test.domain1.com', 'test.domain2.com' & 'test.domain3.com' will not be added. The same if I modify an entry for the DNS of 'domain1.com'.

I think that it either it should work or the user should have access to the DNS of the pointers.

Any idea how to deal with this ?
 
hebergence said:
I've got a main domain, say 'domain1.com' and 2 pointers, say 'domain2.com' & 'domain3.com'. If I set up 'test.domain1.com', 'test.domain2.com' & 'test.domain3.com' will not be added. The same if I modify an entry for the DNS of 'domain1.com'.

I think that it either it should work or the user should have access to the DNS of the pointers.

Any idea how to deal with this ?

I think I understand what you are saying. You setup a domain in DA domain1.com. Then you added 2 domains as "Domain Pointers". The added domains don't copy all the other records in the zone file but the A records for domain2.com and www.domain2.com. So any subdomains and MX records don't work.

Currently that is the way DirectAdmin works. You would need to setup the other domains in Admin.

To make this would I would assume DA would need the ability for a user to create their own DNS records. You would also need to have DA overwrite all the pointer zone files everytime the primary domains zone is updated. It is possible that it could be included in the future but two things about this:

I don't think I want the end users to have the ability to add any DNS record they want. That means that they could do alot of damange and tons of extra administration in the long run.

Second can tell you from my perspective I would not want to have DA copy the primary zone to the pointer zones for me automatically. Let say we moved a domain I might not necessarly want all the records to work but the 2 main A records. This would cause confusion in the long run.
 
Pointers are not domains

As pointers are not "real" domains, I do not see any problem if DA modify the DNS of the pointers each time the dns of the primary domain are modified... that's the life of pointers (;-).

And I do not see why the user has the ability to modify the DNS of the primary domain and not the one of the pointer domains if those do not follow the primary ?

DA has the ability to set up reseller and user, why should admin make all the work about dns ? When will admin be aware of the changes made on the dns of the primary domain ? And who will pay for the time admin needs to change all the pointers the same way the primary domain ?

Except that, DA work great !

Jérémy
 
Hi existenz,

You wrote :
"I think I understand what you are saying. You setup a domain in DA domain1.com. Then you added 2 domains as "Domain Pointers". The added domains don't copy all the other records in the zone file but the A records for domain2.com and www.domain2.com. So any subdomains and MX records don't work."

But, my pointers are setting up to the default DA values, dns of the pointers neither follow, nor copy the dns of the primary when created, that's why I don't really understand how they work ?

What I tried :

A)
- setting up domain1.com and domain2.com (and pointer)
- changing dns of domain1.com
> domain2.com stay unchanged

B)
- setting up domain1.com
- changing dns of domain1.com
- setting up domain2.com (and pointer of domain1.com)
- domain2.com as the default value of DA

I'm really interested in that function because we have a lot of user/domain using mail/dns with DA but hoted on another server... so we have to modify 3/4 A entries pro domain and we have not to forget any domain pointers...

Any suggestion ? Next version ?

Jérémy
 
Hello,

Adding records for pointers when a record is adding to the main domain can be considered.. it would get a little messy though..

I agree that Resellers should have their own DNS administration screen.. so it will be added when time becomes available.

John
 
It would be nice if the user could modify the DNS of the primary and any pointers but nothing else. Any they can not be allowed to just add any DNS records they want.

hebergence
As pointers are not "real" domains, I do not see any problem if DA modify the DNS of the pointers each time the dns of the primary domain are modified... that's the life of pointers (;-).

Here is the problem from day one, what most companies did in the 90's is purchase all the extensions of their name. So I own domain.com, domain.net and domain.org. My website is domain.com but sometimes people are dumb and type one of the other extensions. My email address is [email protected]. I want to make sure that they see my website from any TLD BUT in todays world I don't want to open myself up to 3x the spam I alredy get by letting my mail server accept mail from domain.net and domain.org. So if I add a pointer I don't want it to be a automatic copy of my domain.

I just don't like the idea of them adding any domain they want with out my permission. If I was not watching the servers if they had DNS control by adding domain pointers then I could have users reselling their space.
 
Thank's John.

I really agree with you. Everything would be easier so.

If the user has the ability to modify (primary) DNS, then DNS of the pointer are modified too.
If user do not have the ability to modify (primary) DNS, it's time for reseller (or admin) to play.

I hope the release will come soon...

Jérémy
 
Hi Existenz !

I understand your problem with spam, we all have the same. But I don't understand the problem with the ability for the users to change their DNS. If you don't want them to do it, just use another skin without the DNS ?

Jérémy
 
hebergence said:
Hi Existenz !

I understand your problem with spam, we all have the same. But I don't understand the problem with the ability for the users to change their DNS. If you don't want them to do it, just use another skin without the DNS ?

Jérémy

I understand your problem, and I could do that but end users should not have control of DNS other than their primary domain. Pointers are should just ServerAliases with a DNS record.

The end result will be users adding a domain's and hosting them. I could set it so they don't have domain pointers but that defeats the purpose. Spam is not the only issue it is lack of control of the admin and loss of a perfectly good system.

Now if their way a way to let the Reseller or Admin delegate control on a case-by-case bases that would be perfect. At some point you have limit how much control a user can have.
 
Back
Top