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Customising the DNS servers for an OVHcloud domain name
Find out how to customise the DNS servers for your OVHcloud domain name
2024-06-10

Objective

DNS servers host the DNS configurations for domain names: DNS zones.

These DNS zones consist of technical information: DNS records. In standard usage, DNS records allow you to:

  • Display your website with your domain name, using your hosting server’s IP address (DNS records of the types A and AAAA).
  • Redirect the emails received at your domain name's email address(es) (DNS records of the type MX).
  • Configure security/authentication information for your services (web hosting plan, email server, etc.) associated with your domain name (DNS records such as SPF, DKIM, DMARC, etc.).

For more information on these topics, please read our documentation on OVHcloud DNS servers and editing an OVHcloud DNS zone.

Depending on your needs, you can customise your OVHcloud domain name’s DNS servers using Glue Records.

This guide explains how to customise your OVHcloud domain name’s DNS servers.

Requirements

  • A domain name registered with OVHcloud
  • Access to the OVHcloud Control Panel{.external} in the Web Cloud{.action} section

Instructions

Warning

Customising a domain name’s DNS servers is a sensitive procedure: An inappropriate change can prevent access to your website and/or interrupt the reception of emails sent to your email addresses. Please follow the steps below carefully, or contact a specialist provider if you have any doubts.

Step 1: Retrieve the DNS servers currently used by your domain name

You can retrieve the DNS servers currently used by your domain name using the online DNS tool Zonemaster{.external}.

To do this, go to https://zonemaster.net{.external}, enter your domain name without www (domain.tld), then tick the Options{.action} button located just below the domain name entry form.

In the available options, click on the button Fetch NS from parent zone{.action}.

A result is displayed:

glue-zonemaster{.thumbnail}

Retrieve the DNS servers information including all their associated IPv4 addresses (in the form of X.X.X.X where X is a number between 0 and 255) and IPv6 (other addresses that are not IPv4). You will need them for the rest of this guide.

In our example shown above, the domain.tld domain currently uses the following DNS servers:

  • dnsX1.ovh.net associated with IPv4 203.0.113.0 and IPv6 2001:db8:1:1b00:203:0:113:0
  • dnsX2.ovh.net associated with IPv4 203.0.113.1 and IPv6 2001:db8:1:1b00:203:0:113:1

If you need more information, please read our tutorial on the Zonemaster tool.

Step 2: Add the glue records

Warning

The registries for the extensions .eu, .it, .be and .de do not consider glue records to be "objects", but rather "attributes".

Therefore, for these extensions, skip directly to step 3 of this guide without completing step 2.

[!success]

Before you begin, be aware that:

  • You can create custom DNS servers directly on the domain name that will use them. For example, you can create dns1.domain.tld and dns2.domain.tld for the domain name domain.tld.

  • You can also create custom DNS servers on a domain name to use with another domain name. For example, you can create dns1.domain1.tld and dns2.domain1.tld for the domain name domain2.tld. You will need to retrieve the DNS servers and their associated IPs from the domain2.tld.

In addition, domain1.tld must be registered with OVHcloud to set up the glue records.

Log in to your OVHcloud Control Panel{.external}, then go to the Web Cloud{.action} section. In the left-hand column, click Domain names{.action} then choose the domain name you will use to customise the DNS server names.

On the new page, click on the GLUE{.action} tab.

A table will display the glue records currently configured at OVHcloud for your domain name. To add a new glue record, click the Add{.action} button.

glueregistry{.thumbnail}

In the window that opens, enter the information requested:

Information Details
Host Name Customise the host name you want to use as a custom DNS server.
Target IP(s) Specify the IP address(es) (IPv4 and/or IPv6) to which the host name should resolve. This is the IP address(es) of the DNS server currently used by your domain name. If there are multiple IP addresses, separate them with commas.

glueregistry{.thumbnail}

In the image above, taking the example from step 1, the glue record you want to add here (from the domain name domain.tld) is dns1.domain.tld.

For this glue record, the IP addresses of target DNS server are indicated as 203.0.113.0 (IPv4) and 2001:db8:1:1b00:203:0:113:0 (IPv6). These IPs correspond to one of the two DNS servers currently used for domain.tld (dnsX1.ovh.net).

This glue record is added so that dns1.domain.tld can ultimately replace the DNS server name dnsX1.ovh.net currently used by the domain name domain.tld.

Once you have entered this information, click the Next{.action} button, read the information displayed, then click Confirm{.action}. Repeat this step as many times as necessary, depending on the number of DNS servers your domain name uses.

In our example, you will need to repeat the operation to create the dns2.domain.tld glue. This will then replace the DNS server dnsX2.ovh.net currently associated with IPv4 203.0.113.1 and IPv6 2001:db8:1:1b00:203:0:113:1

Step 3: Create the A and AAAA DNS records corresponding to the custom DNS

You must create the A and AAAA records for the host names that you defined in the previous step. The A and AAAA records must target the destination IP address corresponding to the host name created earlier.

You can do this via the interface given by the service provider managing your domain name’s DNS configuration. There are two ways of doing this:

  • If your domain name does not use an active DNS zone with OVHcloud: Contact the service provider managing it. Once you have made the required changes, please move on to the next step.
  • Your domain name uses an active DNS zone at OVHcloud: Log in to your OVHcloud Control Panel{.external} then go to the Web Cloud{.action} section. In the left-hand column, click Domain names{.action}, then select the domain name you used to create the glue record in step 2. Go to the DNS Zone{.action} tab, then click Add an entry{.action}. Select the entry of type A or AAAA depending on the type of associated IP you want to add. Follow the steps by entering the subdomain and the address IPv4 (A) or IPv6 (AAAA) then proceed until the addition has been validated. If necessary, please refer to our guide on Editing an OVHcloud DNS zone.

glueregistry{.thumbnail}

[!primary]

In all cases, you will need to wait between 4 and 24 hours for the DNS zone modification to propagate across the entire DNS network. We recommend that you wait until the end of this period before continuing.

If we go back to our previous example, the GLUE records that we want to add (from the domain.tld domain) are dns1.domain.tld and dns2.domain.tld. The goal is to replace the current DNS servers dnsX1.ovh.net and dnsX2.ovh.net.

As a result, the following records are added to the active DNS zone of the domain name domain.tld:

  • An A DNS record for the subdomain dns1.domain.tld to the IP 203.0.113.0 (DNS server IPv4 dnsX1.ovh.net)
  • A AAAA DNS record for the subdomain dns1.domain.tld to the IP 2001:db8:1:1b00:203:0:113:0 (DNS server IPv6 dnsX1.ovh.net)
  • An A DNS record for the subdomain dns2.domain.tld to the IP 203.0.113.1 (DNS server IPv4 dnsX2.ovh.net)
  • A AAAA DNS record for the subdomain dns2.domain.tld to the IP 2001:db8:1:1b00:203:0:113:1 (DNS server IPv6 dnsX2.ovh.net)

Step 4: Modify your domain name’s DNS servers

You will need to modify your domain name’s DNS servers by replacing the old DNS servers with the custom DNS servers you have created.

To do this, log in to your OVHcloud Control Panel{.external}, then go to the Web Cloud{.action} section. In the left-hand column, click Domain names{.action}, then select the domain name for which you want to customise the DNS servers.

Go to the DNS servers{.action} tab, then click Modify DNS servers{.action}. Then replace your current DNS servers with those you would like to use as custom DNS servers.

Warning

If your custom DNS servers have been created with the extensions .eu, .it, .be or .de, it is obligatory to enter the associated IP address for each of your custom DNS servers, respectively.

Without this, custom DNS servers will not be registered correctly, and will not work with your domain name.

Finalise the steps and, if necessary, refer to the instructions set out in our documentation "Modifying an OVHcloud domain name’s DNS servers”.

[!primary]

If you have customised DNS servers on one domain name for use with another domain name that is not registered with OVHcloud, contact the service provider where your other domain name is registered to modify the DNS servers.

glueregistry{.thumbnail}

[!primary]

A propagation delay of 24 to 48 hours is required for the change of DNS servers to take effect across the entire DNS network. We recommend that you wait until the end of this period before continuing.

In our example of customising the DNS servers for the domain name domain.tld, we replace the DNS server dnsX1.ovh.net with dns1.domain.tld and the DNS server dnsX2.ovh.net with dns2.domain.tld, then wait for the DNS propagation to propagate.

Step 5: Replace the NS records in your domain name’s active DNS zone

For the customisation of DNS servers to be visible on the DNS network (by performing a Whois, a dig ns or through a DNS configuration tool), you will need to replace the NS records in your domain name’s active DNS zone.

You can do this via the interface given by the service provider managing your domain name’s DNS configuration. There are two possibilities:

  • Your domain name does not use an active DNS zone at OVHcloud: Contact the service provider managing it to make the change.
  • Your domain name uses an active DNS zone at OVHcloud: Log in to your OVHcloud Control Panel{.external} then go to the Web Cloud{.action} section. In the left-hand column, click Domain names{.action}, then select the domain name for which you have customised the DNS servers. Go to the DNS Zone{.action} tab, then click Change in text format{.action}.

A window will appear with your DNS zone in text mode:

glueregistry{.thumbnail}

Warning

As a reminder, making an inappropriate change in text mode in your DNS zone can prevent access to your website and/or make your email addresses unable to receive incoming emails. Contact a specialist provider if you have any doubts.

In this window, replace only in records of the type NS the names of the DNS servers with your own custom DNS server names. You also have to increment the first numeric value in the SOA line by "1". Once you have made your changes, click Next{.action} then Confirm{.action}.

The change will not be visible immediately in the OVHcloud Control Panel{.external}. Wait around 20 minutes, then log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel to ensure that your changes have been processed.

[!primary]

You will need to wait between 4 and 24 hours for the changes in your DNS zone to propagate across the entire DNS network.

To get a better understanding of this last step, let’s take a look at our example: The domain name domain.tld and its DNS zone in "text” mode, visible in the image above.

The following elements are observed:

  • The first numeric value of the line SOA is as follows: 2023071700.
  • There are two NS records for the domain name domain.tld.
  • Records of type NS still target the two DNS servers dnsX1.ovh.net and dnsX2.ovh.net.

To finalise the customisation of the DNS servers for the domain name domain.tld, you will need to:

  • Increment the first numeric value of the SOA line by "1": 2023071701. (If the first numeric value was 2023071704, you would get the following result: 2023071705).
  • Replace the target dnsX1.ovh.net. with dns1.domain.tld. only for the line that starts with IN NS.
  • Replace the target dnsX2.ovh.net. with dns2.domain.tld. only for the line that starts with IN NS.

Once the modifications are made, the result of our example will be the following:

$TTL 3600
@	IN SOA dnsX1.ovh.net. tech.ovh.net. (2023071701 86400 3600 3600000 300)
                  IN NS     dns1.domain.tld.
                  IN NS     dns2.domain.tld.

For the domain name domain.tld, the DNS servers displayed after the DNS modification and propagation have been processed are dns1.domain.tld. and dns2.domain.tld..

If necessary, please refer to our guide on editing an OVHcloud DNS zone.

[!success]

If you have customised your DNS servers directly on the domain name that will use them, the DNS zone may not display the domain name in the targets of the NS records, but only the subdomain.

For example, instead of displaying the following records:

  • domain.tld IN NS dns1.domain.tld.
  • domain.tld IN NS dns2.domain.tld.

The DNS zone can display records as follows:

  • domain.tld IN NS dns1
  • domain.tld IN NS dns2

Rest assured, this is the same result and this configuration will work. This phenomenon is generated by the fact that the domain name is the same on both sides of the NS record.

Go further

General information on OVHcloud DNS servers

Edit an OVHcloud DNS zone

For specialised services (SEO, development, etc.), contact OVHcloud partners.

If you would like assistance using and configuring your OVHcloud solutions, please refer to our support offers.

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