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DNSmigrator

ClouDNS Rackspace Cloud DNS

Migrate DNS from ClouDNS to Rackspace.

7 record types move as they are. 4 things work differently at Rackspace, and the preview shows exactly which of your records they affect.

Free preview. Read-only. Nothing changes until you apply.

ClouDNS to Rackspace DNS migration differences

Generated from the same provider capability data the migration engine uses.

Moves as-is

  • A
  • AAAA
  • CNAME
  • MX
  • TXT
  • NS
  • SRV

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

Rackspace 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.

TTLs below 300s are raised

Rackspace's minimum TTL is 300 seconds. Shorter TTLs are raised to 300s and shown as translated.

A typical ClouDNS zone at Rackspace

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

ClouDNS Rackspace

  • ExactA@

    192.0.2.70

  • ExactAAAA@

    2001:db8::70

  • ExactMX@

    10 mx1.mail.example.net. +1

  • ExactTXT@

    "v=spf1 include:_spf.example.net -all"

  • UnsupportedCAA@

    Not migrated

    Rackspace doesn't support CAA records through its API.

  • ExactTXT_dmarc

    "v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"

  • ExactSRV_sip._tls

    100 1 443 sip.example.net.

  • ExactCNAMEwww

    example.com.

Set up the connections

Use the provider-specific credential guides before you preview, then keep the migration checklist beside the cutover plan.

How the move works

  1. 1

    Connect ClouDNS

    Connect ClouDNS with read-only access (API user auth ID (or sub-user ID/name) + password).

  2. 2

    Connect Rackspace

    Connect Rackspace (Cloud account username and API key). Write access is only used when you apply.

  3. 3

    Review the preview

    Check every record marked Review or Unsupported. Each one explains what changes and why.

  4. 4

    Apply to Rackspace

    We snapshot the Rackspace zone, write in batches, and leave ClouDNS untouched.

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query Rackspace's own nameservers for every record and compare the answers before you switch.

  6. 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 Rackspace

  • Apex NS and SOA records are managed by Rackspace and can't be changed.
  • PTR records are only managed through Rackspace's reverse-DNS API for its own cloud devices, so they aren't migrated.
  • TTLs below 300 seconds are raised to 300.
  • Rackspace removes quote and backslash characters from TXT data.
  • Changes run as asynchronous Rackspace jobs; we wait for each job to finish, so large plans take longer.
  • New domains use the connection's SOA contact email, or hostmaster@<domain> when none is set.
  • Subdomains that Rackspace hosts as separate domains are listed as their own zones.

Access we need: Use a dedicated account user with the DNS Admin product role (dnsaas:admin). DNS Creator can't delete records, and DNS Observer is read-only, which is enough for a source connection.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from ClouDNS to Rackspace?

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

Related migrations

Ready to see your own zone?

Start a free preview