Tag: DNS zone

DNS DNS records Network

PTR record: Why should you care about it?

by Gia

PTR record is one of the critical DNS record types that you should know. It is one of the few that warrants special attention. Why, we will see in this article. 

DNS record – what does it mean?

To start, let’s see what precisely the DNS records are. They are nothing more than text instructions. Its primary function is to instruct domain name servers on managing traffic to your domains and subdomains. In addition, the network for websites is the entire Internet. So, a DNS record is a single mapping that connects an IP address to a resource in DNS. They are organized into DNS zones and kept on nameservers.

What is a PTR record?

PTR records, also known as Pointer records, are a DNS record that links an IP address to a domain name. It is proof that the IP address being checked is indeed tied to the domain name and that it is not a hoax. So, it allows you to check and verify that the IP address you’re using belongs to the domain name. Furthermore, it demonstrates that it is not a hoax. Thanks to the Pointer record, verifying distinct pieces or services, such as a mail server, is simple.

How to check your PTR record?

Structure

The structure of the PTR record is simple and easy to understand. Here is an example how what it could look like:

  • TYPE: PTR record – It denotes the DNS record type. 
  • Host: 78.159.213.32 – You must provide the host’s IP address in this field. An IPV4 or IPv6 address is possible.
  • POINTS TO: example.com – You can use this field to show the domain name.
  • TTL: 1h – You set the TTL or time-to-live value here.

How to create a PTR record?

It’s simple to set up a DNS Pointer record. So, let’s break it down into steps.

  1. It would be best if you first built a Master Reverse Zone.

In a Master Reverse Zone, the PTR record can exist. However, it’s important to note that it shouldn’t be used in a conventional Master zone. The IP address in the Master Reverse Zone should always be in reverse order. For example, if the IP address is 32.213.159.78., you should enter it as 78.159.213.32. Regardless of whether it’s an IPv4 or IPv6 address, the same rule applies.

  1. The next step is to generate the Pointer record.

When adding the PTR record, you’ll also have to input it backward. You should have a matching A or AAAA record for each Pointer record. As a result, make sure to double-check!

  1. Finally, add the NS records.

NS records pointing to your nameservers should be added to the IP provider. Your Reverse DNS zone is now complete!

Why is it important to use rDNS service?

PTR record vs. A record

When we compare the A and PTR records, we’ll see that they’re polar opposites. This is because the A record links a domain name to an IP address (IPv4). On the other hand, the PTR record is used to resolve an IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) to a domain name.

It’s also worth noting that the A and PTR records are located in separate DNS zones. The A record should be added to a Primary (Master) DNS zone, but the PTR record can only exist in a Master Reverse DNS zone and operate.

Conclusion

By and large, the PTR is a really fundamental DNS record that you have to know. Start using it for your domain to lessen the number of bounce emails. It is not difficult. You could just follow the steps above. Good luck!

DNS

Benefits of using a Secondary DNS zone

by Gia

What is a Secondary DNS zone?

The Secondary DNS zone represents a read-only copy of the DNS data (DNS records)of the Primary (Master) DNS zone. You could find it also called Backup or Slave DNS zone. It is very important to note that for the various DNS records, for instance, A, AAAA, MX, TXT records, and many more, it is not possible to add them directly into the Secondary DNS zone. 

Why is a Secondary DNS server important?

The only method for the Secondary DNS zone to obtain the DNS data is by getting them from the Primary (Master) DNS zone of the DNS server. For that purpose, it is necessary a process called DNS zone transfer to be completed. 

The Backup DNS zone can serve in several ways, yet one of the main ideas for creating it is for backup. That way, if, for some reason, your Primary DNS zone is not operating, that won’t bother you. Your Backup DNS zone is going to assist in such situations and answer the requests thanks to its copy.

Benefits

Redundancy: In case your Primary DNS zone is incapable of answering, the Slave DNS zone will provide redundancy. If there is no Secondary DNS zone, if the primary DNS zone fails, your website is going to become unavailable, and users won’t be able to access your content.

Build a reliable DNS management: DNS servers that store the DNS zones could become victims of security threats. The one that is most commonly used is Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS attack). By setting up a DNS provider with DDoS protection and placing your Slave DNS zone there, you could protect yourself from malicious DDoS attacks.

Distributing the load: When you add a Slave DNS zone, you could provide a faster response to DNS queries. 

DNS zone transfer – Types

The process called DNS zone transfer is an easy and simple task to complete. It makes a duplicate of the DNS data (DNS records) created in the Primary DNS zone to the Secondary DNS zone.

There are two types of DNS zone transfer that you could make:

  • Full zone transfer (AXFR zone transfer). With this type, you could make a copy of all the DNS records from the Primary DNS zone to the Secondary DNS zone. It is great to use it when you haven’t updated the Secondary for a long period of time, and you want to be sure that everything is up to date. Another case when it is commonly used is for a new Backup DNS zone, and you have to import the entire information.
  • Incremental zone transfer (IXFR zone transfer). This type is very useful when you want to update only the latest changes in your DNS information from your Primary DNS zone to the Slave DNS zone. That way, only the modifications will update, and it is going to use fewer network resources. It is easy and practical!