Rackspace Cloud DNS Akamai Edge DNS
Migrate DNS from Rackspace to Akamai.
7 record types move as they are. Nothing else needs special handling.
Free preview. Read-only. Nothing changes until you apply.
Rackspace to Akamai DNS migration differences
Generated from the same provider capability data the migration engine uses.
Moves as-is
- A
- AAAA
- CNAME
- MX
- NS
- SRV
- TXT
A straightforward move.
A typical Rackspace zone at Akamai
Example records for example.com. Open any flagged row to read why it changed.
Rackspace Akamai
- 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 Akamai | 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 |
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
Connect Rackspace
Connect Rackspace with read-only access (Cloud account username and API key).
- 2
Connect Akamai
Connect Akamai (EdgeGrid API client (host, client token, client secret, access token)). 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 Akamai
We snapshot the Akamai zone, write in batches, and leave Rackspace untouched.
- 5
Verify
We query Akamai'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 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.
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.
Questions
Will there be downtime moving from Rackspace to Akamai?
Not if both providers serve the same answers during the switch. The records are copied to Akamai 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 Rackspace?
No. We never write to Rackspace. 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 Akamai and publish its new DS record. The cutover plan walks you through each step.
Ready to see your own zone?