Hello,
I wanted to run my own private name server (ns1/ns2.mydomain.net) along with the ability of hosting multiple sites in one machine.

Please confirm if this setting is good, if not please guide me how to correct it? Here's what I have done with mydomain.net at my registrar (eNom):

1. I've assigned mydomain.net's NS (within eNom) to ns1.linode.com + ns2.linode.com. not sure if this correct??

2. I've registered my private nameservers (within eNom) as follows:
ns1.mydomain.net IP address: 207.192.xx.1
ns2.mydomain.net IP address: 207.192.xx.2.

But then I am not sure what I have to do within DNS Manager, currently is set in default mode as follows:
SOA Record (primary DNS): ns1.linode.com,
NS Records (nameservers): ns1+ns2.linode.com,
MX Records (Mail Server): mail.mydomain.net
A/AAAA Records (Host Name: blank), (IPs: blank)
CNAME Records (Host Name: blank), (Aliases to: blank)
TXT Records (name: blank), (value: blank)
SRV Records: all blanks.

Do I have to make any changes of any above records (within DNS Manager)?

I know I am getting closer accomplishing this task but needed a little bit more guidance and assurance if I am going in the right direction... or not?

Your inputs is very much appreciated.

Kind regards,
Chris

I'm not sure what you mean by "private":

1. You want to run a name server completely under your control, and everybody should talk to it. Then you should point your registration NS entries directly to that server, leaving ns*.linode.com completely out of the loop.

2. You want to run a local name server (so you can edit the files directly, or use some control panel type tool), but have everybody talk to ns*.linode.com. In that case, you point your registration NS entries at linode, and set up the linode nameservers as slaves to your local nameserver (I don't think this is yet possible; what you can do is do a transfer of all the info in your local server to the linode server whenever you make a local change. Not much fun.

3. You want local nameserver with entries that are not public, and available only to your linode host(s); the public data will be in the linode nameserver. :Point your registration entries at ns*.linode.com, and fill in the public info in the linode panel. On the linodes that need the private info, set the resolver to point at the private nameservers (that is, in /etc/resolv.conf). Configure the private server to respond only to your private servers. Also, you might want to look at the docs for "split zones", a BIND 9 feature.

4. Some combination of the above, or something else entirely. Please explain further.

BTW, if what you want is #3, you'll make your life a WHOLE LOT EASIER by creating a subdomain for all the private entries, rather than trying to overlap the public entries. Trust me on this one.

_________________
The irony is that Bill Gates claims to be making a stable operating system and Linus Torvalds claims to be trying to take over the world.
-- seen on the net

It is possible to configure slave zones in the Linode DNS manager. I have bind running on my Linode and only allowing connections from ns[1-4].linode.com. My domains have ns[1-4].linode.com registered for their nameservers. When creating the slave zone in the dns manager, I just entered my domain name and linode ip address.

Hi SteveG and path,
Thank you for the insightful guidance... truly I've gotten a lot more than I asked for and this is always a good thing for someone like me who are still learning this VPS stuff and in need of holding hands.

Let me try to simplify to my original questions.

What I'd like to use with my Lidone 360 is run my own nameserver (ie. ns1/ns2. mydomain.net) so that every domains that I host will be using my nameserver not "ns*.linode.com". And I will not be running Email server, will be outsourced to Google Apps.

And my questions are as follows:
1. What do I have to do/change at mydomain.net's registrar (eNom)? a). Do I have to assign mydomain.net's namerserver to ns*.linode.com or leave it and keep using eNom's default nameservers (something like dns1.name-services.com)? b). Do I have to register with eNom my own nameserver (ns1/n2.mydomain.net) and point them to my Linode IP addresses? Or I got this all wrong??

2. Then at Linode's free DNS manager what records that I need to change/add (if any).

Thanks again for your kind help.

First, sorry for asserting that the Linode nameservers can't be slaves. My brain, it's not so good these days.

Second, I'm not clear on what you're trying to accomplish; when you say "the domains that I host will be using my nameserver", do you mean that the entries for those domains will be on your nameserver? Because that's not what "using a nameserver" means, at least to me. For example, my domain's DNS entries are at zoneedit; the registrar entry (which is actual just an interface to the root nameservers) point at zoneedit nameservers. But whenever the software on the linode needs to look up a name, it *uses* the linode servers.

(I'm really not trying to be a pedantic jerk; DNS is a complex beast, and unless we understand exactly what you're trying to accomplish, we'll ge t it wrong.)

So I'm going to take a best guess at what you want, and suggest a solution. (which is basically what I labeled #2 in my previous post). What I think you want is to *manage* all your entries in your own nameserver, on your linode, rather than having to use the Linode DNS manager. You don't particularly care where other systems go to lookup your entries, so long as it's mastered on your local server. You need at least one slave, because you need two DNS servers at your registrar. Go to this post for a good how-to.

Note in particular that you don't want to leave any entries pointing at your registrars servers, because those won't see your changes.

_________________
The irony is that Bill Gates claims to be making a stable operating system and Linus Torvalds claims to be trying to take over the world.

-- seen on the net

Example:
Currently I have a shared hosting and also used my own private nameserver (ns1.mydomain.net + ns2.mydomain.net). So, when I wanted to host a domain (website) at my server (shared) what I have to do is go to the registrar (GoLady.com) of the domain in question and change the default (GoLady.com's) nameservers to mynameservers (ns1/ns2.mydomain.net) and wait for TTL. Done.

This way I don't have to use any of my hoster's nameserver (like: ns*.golady.com) etc.. That's what I meant when I said "private namerserver" or maybe I am using wrong terminology in the VPS world.... my apologies.

So this is one of my task that I'd like to accomplish here with my Linode 360, is recreating what I have now with shared server.

Thanks for the "HowTo: Linode as DNS slaves with your own server as SOA" link, it does helps.

Thanks again.

Before you decide to run your own name servers, please, please, for the love of everything holy, learn about what DNS is and how it works. I understand you're 1337 and you need your own name servers because your hax0rs friends will bow at your feet, but you really need to understand what's going on before you go down that road.

--James

It's solved.
Thanks to everyone who have help and contributed to my posting.

And yes I will continue running my own nameservers (despite the warnings). I guess I have to learn it in the hard way...some lessons learned are learned the hard way.

James (irgeek) thank you for the warning. I'll be careful!

Kind regards,
Chris