Managing Hosts

This chapter explains how to configure hosts in DNS zones. Before you proceed with the concepts in this chapter, read Managing Zones which explains how to set up the basic properties of a primary and secondary DNS server and its zones.

Adding Hosts in Zones

You can manage the resource records for a host by configuring the host rather than the individual RRs. When you define a host, the DNS server automatically creates an Address (A) RR in IPv4, or an AAAA RR in IPv6, for each address you specify. If you specify one or more aliases for the host, the server also creates a Canonical Name (CNAME) RR for each alias. You can also have the server create a Pointer (PTR) RR for the host in the reverse zone for the host, if the reverse zone exists.

Local Web UI

Procedure

Step 1

From the Design menu, choose Hosts under the Auth DNS submenu to open the List/Add Hosts for Zone page.

Tip

 

You can sort by hostname, IP address, IPv6 address (if appropriate), or alias by clicking the corresponding column heading on the List/Add Host for Zone page. However, for zones with a large number of hosts (more than 50,000), restrict the sort to the hostname. Sorting based on IP address or alias can take significantly longer, and could fail if you exceed the memory capacity of the CCM server.

Step 2

Enter the name of the host and its IPv4 or IPv6 address or comma-separated addresses.

Step 3

If the host has alias names, enter a comma-separated list.

Step 4

If you want to create a corresponding Pointer (PTR) RR for the host and you know that the reverse zone for the host exists, check the Create PTR Records? check box.

Step 5

Click Add Host .

Step 6

To confirm, from the Design menu, choose Forward Zones under the Auth DNS submenu to open the List/Add Forward Zones page.

Step 7

Click the Resource Records tab to view RRs for the selected zone.

Note

 
If you want to view the list of hosts for a particular zone, click the Hosts tab.

CLI Commands

To create A RRs, alias RRs, and PTR RRs for existing reverse zones in a single operation, use zone name addHost hostname address alias for each host. To list the created zones, use zone name listHosts .

Adding Additional RRs for the Host

You add additional RRs for the host based on the dns edit mode you chose, either staged or synchronous. For details, see Adding Resource Record to Zone.

Reload the DNS server if you want these RRs to become active server RRs.

Local Web UI

For example, to add additional CNAME RRs, add the alias hostname in the Name field under the Resource Records tab of the List/Add Forward Zones page, choose CNAME from the Type drop-down list, add the canonical name of the host in the Data field, then click Add Resource Record . Note that the DNS specification does not allow a CNAME RR with the same name as that of another RR.

For an MX RR, add the origin hostname in the Name field; choose MX from the Type drop-down list; add the integer preference value, a space, and the domain name of the mail exchanger for the origin host in the Data field; then click Add Resource Record . These entries should appear in the list at the bottom of the page.

CLI Commands

To create a CNAME record, use zone name addRR alias CNAME canonical for protected RRs or zone name addDNSRR alias CNAME canonical for unprotected RRs.

To create an MX record, use zone name addRR hostname MX preference mxname for protected RRs or zone name addDNSRR hostname MX preference mxname for unprotected RRs.

Editing Hosts

Editing a host involves:

  • Adding additional addresses or aliases
  • Modifying its Resource Records (RRs)

Local Web UI

Procedure

Step 1

From the Design menu, choose Hosts under the Auth DNS submenu to open the List/Add Hosts for Zone page.

If you have multiple zones configured, select the zone from the list of zones in the Hosts pane on the left.

Step 2

Click the hostname to add additional IP addresses or aliases, and click Save .

Step 3

To modify the RRs, click the Edit RRs button to open the Edit View RR List page.

CLI Commands

To edit the host, you must remove its RRs by using zone name removeRR name type data or zone name removeDNSRR name type data, and then re-enter the RRs using zone name addRR name ttl class type data or zone name addDNSRR name ttl type data.

Removing Hosts

Removing a host removes all A, CNAME, and PTR RRs for that host.

Local Web UI

On the List/Add Hosts in Zone page (see Editing Hosts for the possible ways to get there), click the Delete icon next to the host you want to remove, then confirm the deletion.

CLI Commands

Remove the host by using zone name removeHost , then re-add it by using zone name addHost .