Akamai Edge DNS FortiGate DNS

Migrate DNS from Akamai to FortiGate.

4 record types move as they are. 3 things work differently at FortiGate, 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

Alias records are converted

Akamai alias records become CNAMEs below the apex. At the apex they need static addresses, and the preview shows which ones.

TXT, NS, SRV, CAA, PTR, DS, HTTPS, SVCB, TLSA, SSHFP, NAPTR, LOC, CERT, RP, AKAMAICDN, AKAMAITLC aren't available

FortiGate can't store TXT, NS, SRV, CAA, PTR, DS, HTTPS, SVCB, TLSA, SSHFP, NAPTR, LOC, CERT, RP, AKAMAICDN, AKAMAITLC records through its API. They're marked Unsupported with the reason, never dropped silently.

FortiGate rewrites the whole host list

Every write to FortiGate's API replaces all records. We read, merge and write once, so records outside the migration survive.

A typical Akamai zone at FortiGate

Example records for example.com. Open any flagged row to read why it changed.

Akamai FortiGate

ExactA@
192.0.2.70
ExactAAAA@
2001:db8::70
ExactMX@
10 mx1.mail.example.net. +1
UnsupportedTXT@
Not migrated
FortiGate doesn't support TXT records through its API.
UnsupportedCAA@
Not migrated
FortiGate doesn't support CAA records through its API.
UnsupportedTXT_dmarc
Not migrated
FortiGate doesn't support TXT records through its API.
UnsupportedSRV_sip._tls
Not migrated
FortiGate doesn't support SRV records through its API.
ExactCNAMEwww
example.com.

How each record at Akamai Edge DNS translates to FortiGate DNS
Status	Type	Name	At FortiGate	TTL
Exact	A	@	192.0.2.70	5m
Exact	AAAA	@	2001:db8::70	5m
Exact	MX	@	10 mx1.mail.example.net. 20 mx2.mail.example.net.	1h
Unsupported	TXT	@	Not migrated	—
Unsupported	CAA	@	Not migrated	—
Unsupported	TXT	_dmarc	Not migrated	—
Unsupported	SRV	_sip._tls	Not migrated	—
Exact	CNAME	www	example.com.	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 FortiGate
Connect FortiGate (Management URL + REST API admin token (Bearer) + VDOM). 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 FortiGate
We snapshot the FortiGate zone, write in batches, and leave Akamai untouched.
5
Verify
We query FortiGate'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 FortiGate

FortiGates usually sit on private networks: we only connect if the admin HTTPS interface is exposed on a public address with a valid certificate, because private and internal addresses are refused by design.
Only A, AAAA and CNAME records plus MX at the zone apex are supported; wildcards, TXT, SRV and CAA are not, and disabled entries are left untouched.
Every change rewrites the zone's whole dns-entry table; we read and merge first so records outside the plan survive, but concurrent edits in the GUI can be overwritten.

Access we need: Admin profile with System → Configuration read for the preview, read/write to apply; restrict the REST API admin with trusted hosts.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from Akamai to FortiGate?

Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to FortiGate 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 FortiGate and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.

Ready to see your own zone?

Start a free preview