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dnsmigrator

ClouDNS Websupport

Migrate DNS from ClouDNS to Websupport.

6 record types move as they are. 3 things work differently at Websupport, 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

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

Websupport 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.

A typical ClouDNS zone at Websupport

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

ClouDNS Websupport

  • 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

    Websupport 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.

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 Websupport

    Connect Websupport (API key + secret (HMAC-SHA1 signed requests)). 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 Websupport

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

  5. 5

    Verify

    We query Websupport'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 Websupport

  • Only A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and SRV records can be managed; CAA values come back without flags and tag, so CAA records are not read, and NS and ANAME are left alone.
  • Websupport cannot list DNS zones through the API; enter the domain name, and add new domains in the Websupport admin first.
  • Null MX and SRV records without a target are rejected, and trailing spaces in TXT values are stripped.

Access we need: An API key and secret on the Websupport user that owns the domain. Keys have no read-only mode, so the same key is used for preview and apply.

Questions

Will there be downtime moving from ClouDNS to Websupport?

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

Related migrations

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