ClouDNS netcup

Migrate DNS from ClouDNS to netcup.

8 record types move as they are. 4 things work differently at netcup, 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
SRV
CAA
TLSA

Alias records are converted

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

Routing policies are flattened

netcup has no routing policies. Weighted, geo and latency sets collapse into one set of answers, and failover keeps only the primary. Each one is flagged for review.

NS, PTR, DNAME, SSHFP, DS, NAPTR, CLOUDNS_WR aren't available

netcup can't store NS, PTR, DNAME, SSHFP, DS, NAPTR, CLOUDNS_WR records through its API. They're marked Unsupported with the reason, never dropped silently.

TTLs below 86400s are raised

netcup's minimum TTL is 86400 seconds. Shorter TTLs are raised to 86400s and shown as translated.

A typical ClouDNS zone at netcup

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

ClouDNS netcup

TranslatedA@
192.0.2.70
TTL 300s is outside the allowed range. Set to 86400s.
TranslatedAAAA@
2001:db8::70
TTL 300s is outside the allowed range. Set to 86400s.
TranslatedMX@
10 mx1.mail.example.net. +1
TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 86400s.
TranslatedTXT@
"v=spf1 include:_spf.example.net -all"
TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 86400s.
TranslatedCAA@
0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 86400s.
TranslatedTXT_dmarc
"v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"
TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 86400s.
TranslatedSRV_sip._tls
100 1 443 sip.example.net.
TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 86400s.
TranslatedCNAMEwww
example.com.
TTL 3600s is outside the allowed range. Set to 86400s.

How each record at ClouDNS translates to netcup
Status	Type	Name	At netcup	TTL
Translated	A	@	192.0.2.70	1d
Translated	AAAA	@	2001:db8::70	1d
Translated	MX	@	10 mx1.mail.example.net. 20 mx2.mail.example.net.	1d
Translated	TXT	@	"v=spf1 include:_spf.example.net -all"	1d
Translated	CAA	@	0 issue "letsencrypt.org"	1d
Translated	TXT	_dmarc	"v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"	1d
Translated	SRV	_sip._tls	100 1 443 sip.example.net.	1d
Translated	CNAME	www	example.com.	1d

How the move works

1
Connect ClouDNS
Connect ClouDNS with read-only access (API user auth ID (or sub-user ID/name) + password).
2
Connect netcup
Connect netcup (Customer number + API key + API password (CCP API session)). 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 netcup
We snapshot the netcup zone, write in batches, and leave ClouDNS untouched.
5
Verify
We query netcup'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 ClouDNS

TTLs must be one of ClouDNS's fixed values (60, 300, 900, 1800, 3600, 21600 … 2592000); other TTLs are rounded up.
Web redirects (CLOUDNS_WR) are ClouDNS-only and are written as plain 301 redirects without frame options.
The API is rate limited to about 20 requests per second per IP, so large zones apply record by record and take a while.

Access we need: A read-only API sub-user with the zones delegated is enough for the preview; applying needs a read-and-write sub-user or a main API user.

Good to know about netcup

netcup has no per-record TTL: every record uses the zone TTL (86400 seconds by default), so source TTLs are not kept.
Domains can only be listed for reseller accounts; everyone else enters the zone name, and NS records are not managed.
TXT values with quotes or backslashes and CAA values with semicolons are altered or rejected by the API.

Access we need: A CCP API key and API password. netcup keys cannot be limited to read-only or to single domains, so the same key is used for preview and apply.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from ClouDNS to netcup?

Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to netcup 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 ClouDNS?

No. We never write to ClouDNS. 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 netcup and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.

Ready to see your own zone?

Start a free preview