Moving NS Hosts procedural question From: Men & Mi

Re: Moving NS Hosts procedural question From: Men & Mi

From:

Date:

Time:

> Subject: Re: Moving NS Hosts procedural question From: Men & Mice Support
> <cbuxton@menandmice.com> Date: Sun, 9 May 1999 04:27:31 -0700

>> Yesterday the cable service that is my ISP notified me that the fiber optic
>> network is all complete and I have until next Friday to exchange my Zenith
>> modem with 4 fixed IP#'s over to the new high-speed Surfboard modem. However
>> on further research, I realize that the basic accounts will now be dynamic. I
>> need to call Monday and arrange for a slightly higher cost business account,
>> I'm guessing, which gets assigned fixed IP#'s. I think I get 4 with
>> additional costing a certain amount per month more.

>> Anyway, I need to put together a game plan for the switch-over with a minimum
>> of hassle. I'm assuming they will not let me have the same IP#'s I've been
>> using. If they do, then my problem goes away. But if they must change, then I
>> need to get the InterNIC to switch my host records and make the changes here.
>> I'm wondering what the best procedure would be and if there is anything I
>> should ask the ISP to do to minimize the down time for others who use my mail
>> server and list server. Also there are 4 domains that get their primary and
>> secondary name services from me. The web services are hosted by a subsidiary
>> of the ISP and I handle the mail/list/database servers.

> Assuming you can have access to both your old IPs and your new ones
> simultaneiously for a few days, this can be pretty tricky. It's easier if you
> can put up an extra machine for each machine you currently have running as a
> server.

I can "know" the new IP#'s, but as it turns out, I can't have them both active
at the same time, apparently, as you suggested.

> Step 1) Change the Minimum TTL and Refresh values in each of your domains to
> something very short - 1 hour, for instance. Wait for the new values to
> propagate throughout the net. This should take up to twice the length of your
> old Minimum TTL, or two days, whichever is longer.

I can be assigned the new IP#'s any time, but they won't be available until I
switch the modems. [time runs out on the old IP#'s this weekend, so I have to
act quickly] However I can go ahead and make the requested host records change
with the InterNIC. But should I also still shorten the TTL and Refresh values
for the existing domains? Then, what do you recommend with the limitations I'm
placed under: taking down the servers, restarting machines and updating TCP/IP
records, then load the new DNS settings in place of the old? Should I give the
InterNIC a couple of days from the time they confirm the host address change and
just hope it's pretty close? Once all is working again, I should then return the
TTL and Refresh values back to what I was using before, correct? I think I just
use the default. I've never changed them.

> Step 2) Duplicate all your current services, using your new IP addresses. This
> means, for every webserver address you currently have, put up a duplicate on
> the new addresses. For every DNS server you currently have, put up a duplicate
> on the new addresses - but change the DNS records for your own machines to
> match the new addresses, and give the new zone files normal TTL and refresh
> values. Tell your customers to not update their sites on your servers during
> this time, if you have such customers. Set any mail servers on your old
> addresses to forward to the new addresses. List servers should only be on the
> new addresses - any that listen on SMTP should be replaced by a forwarding
> mail server on the old addresses.

> If you don't have the extra machines to spare, and can't simply add addresses
> to your existing servers for all services, you may be able to borrow services
> from your ISP. At this point, they take over your old addresses until the
> transition is complete.

I'm not sure they can do this as they seem pretty swamped with moving the entire
local cable system over to the new fiber optic network with different node
configurations, etc.

> Step 3) Notify Internic of the changes. Wait for them to update your records,
> then wait for the changes to propagate throughout the net. This will take at
> most two days plus double your adjusted (short) Minimum value.

Okay, I understand this and I just wanted to make sure in my question above,
that during the time this is happening, assuming it happens quickly, i.e. this
week, my network is in sort of a limbo, with the DNS hosts at the old addresses
pointing to servers at the old addresses. The addresses themselves would still
be valid, but the records at the InterNIC would be "wrong" until I make the
updates here and take down the old addresses. [I just got my copy of DNS & Bind,
but alas, I'm barely through the first section and now this comes along! This is
called "flying by the seat of my pants", right?]

> Step 4) Take down the servers on the old addresses.

> If you need further assistance with this matter, please feel free to ask.
> ________________________________________________________________________
> Chris Buxton Men&Micecbuxton@menandmice.com
> http://www.menandmice.com

Thanks, Chris, for your help.

Sincere regards,
Jeffrey

Sales:
888/4-DPOINT

Support:
858/452-3696