Akamai Edge DNS DigitalOcean DNS
Migrate DNS from Akamai to DigitalOcean.
8 record types move as they are. 2 things work differently at DigitalOcean, and the preview shows exactly which of your records they affect.
Free preview. Read-only. Nothing changes until you apply.
What works differently
Generated from the same provider capability data the migration engine uses.
Moves as-is
- A
- AAAA
- CNAME
- MX
- TXT
- NS
- SRV
- CAA
Alias records are converted
PTR, DS, HTTPS, SVCB, TLSA, SSHFP, NAPTR, LOC, CERT, RP, AKAMAICDN, AKAMAITLC aren't available
A typical Akamai zone at DigitalOcean
Example records for example.com. Open any flagged row to read why it changed.
Akamai DigitalOcean
- ExactA@
192.0.2.70
- ExactAAAA@
2001:db8::70
- ExactMX@
10 mx1.mail.example.net. +1
- ExactTXT@
"v=spf1 include:_spf.example.net -all"
- ExactCAA@
0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
- ExactTXT_dmarc
"v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"
- ExactSRV_sip._tls
100 1 443 sip.example.net.
- ExactCNAMEwww
example.com.
| Status | Type | Name | At DigitalOcean | TTL | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exact | A | @ |
| 5m | |
| Exact | AAAA | @ |
| 5m | |
| Exact | MX | @ |
| 1h | |
| Exact | TXT | @ |
| 1h | |
| Exact | CAA | @ |
| 1h | |
| Exact | TXT | _dmarc |
| 1h | |
| Exact | SRV | _sip._tls |
| 1h | |
| Exact | CNAME | www |
| 1h |
How the move works
- 1
Connect Akamai
Connect Akamai with read-only access (EdgeGrid API client (host, client token, client secret, access token)).
- 2
Connect DigitalOcean
Connect DigitalOcean (Personal access token (custom scopes)). Write access is only used when you apply.
- 3
Review the preview
Check every record marked Review or Unsupported. Each one explains what changes and why.
- 4
Apply to DigitalOcean
We snapshot the DigitalOcean zone, write in batches, and leave Akamai untouched.
- 5
Verify
We query DigitalOcean's own nameservers for every record and compare the answers before you switch.
- 6
Switch nameservers
Lower TTLs a day or two ahead, remove any DS record if DNSSEC is on, then point the domain at the new nameservers at your registrar.
Good to know about Akamai
- AKAMAICDN and non-DUAL AKAMAITLC records point at Akamai edge hostnames. Other providers have no equivalent, so recreate them as CNAME or ALIAS records by hand.
- Apex ALIAS records are stored as AKAMAITLC records with the DUAL answer type. ALIAS records below the apex become CNAMEs.
- TXT values can't contain double quotes or backslashes.
Access we need: DNS—Zone Record Management API: READ-ONLY for the preview, READ-WRITE to apply.
Good to know about DigitalOcean
- DigitalOcean nameservers don't support DNSSEC, so turn DNSSEC off at the registrar before switching to them.
- TXT records are limited to roughly 500 characters in total and can't contain backslashes.
- CAA records can't use a bare ";" value or CA parameters such as "letsencrypt.org; accounturi=…".
Access we need: domain:read for the preview; domain:read, domain:create, domain:update and domain:delete to apply.
Questions
Will there be downtime moving from Akamai to DigitalOcean?
Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to DigitalOcean and verified before you change nameservers, so resolvers get the same answer from either side while caches expire.
Do I have to delete anything at Akamai?
No. We never write to Akamai. Keep the old zone for a week after cutover so you can switch back instantly if anything looks wrong.
What about DNSSEC?
If DNSSEC is on, remove the DS record at your registrar and wait for it to expire before switching nameservers. Then enable DNSSEC at DigitalOcean and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.
Ready to see your own zone?
Start a free preview