Alibaba Cloud DNS:Smoothly migrate DNS services to Alibaba Cloud DNS

Preparations

1. Check and disable DNSSEC

   Check whether your domain has Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) enabled. If DNSSEC is enabled, delete the DS record and disable DNSSEC at your domain name registrar. You can re-enable DNSSEC in Alibaba Cloud DNS after the migration is complete. If your domain does not have DNSSEC configured, you can skip this step.

   # Use the dig command to check the DNSSEC status of your domain.
   # If the response contains an RRSIG record, DNSSEC is enabled.
   dig +dnssec yourdomain.com

2. Unlock the domain name

   Log on to your domain name registrar's console. Disable the update lock (serverUpdateProhibited or clientUpdateProhibited). This lock prevents changes to the nameserver addresses.

3. Export the original DNS records

   Export all DNS records for your domain name from your current DNS provider's console. If your provider does not support batch export, you must manually create a zone file that adheres to the format specified in the DNS Record Template. For more information about formatting different record types, see Add a DNS record.

   Important

   Do not delete the records from your previous DNS provider during the migration. For up to 48 hours, DNS queries may still be directed to your previous provider. We recommend that you delete the records from your previous provider one week after the migration is complete.

Procedure

Step 1. Purchase a public authoritative zone instance

Purchase a public authoritative zone instance to provide a stable, high-quality public resolution service for your domain.

1. Go to the Instance page on the Alibaba Cloud DNS console and select the Public Zone tab.

2. Click Buy Now.

You can also select the free authoritative zone service. However, it does not include an availability guarantee or DNS nodes outside the Chinese mainland. This service is not recommended for production environments and is intended for evaluation purposes only.

Step 2. Add a domain name

1. Go to Alibaba Cloud DNS - Public Authoritative Zone.

2. On the Authoritative Domain Names page, click Add Domain Name.

3. In the Add Domain Name dialog box, enter the domain name that you want to manage and select the public authoritative zone instance that you purchased.

   

Step 3. Import DNS records

1. Confirm the record format: Review the DNS record file that you exported during the preparation step. Ensure that special characters are escaped, TTL values are appropriate, and no duplicate or conflicting records exist.

2. Import DNS records: Click the target domain to go to the Settings page. Click the Batch Import button and import the record file you prepared. For the initial import, select Full Update.

   After the import, verify that the records on the Settings page match the records from your previous DNS provider.

3. Verify that the records are active

   In the Network Probe Tool, enter the domain name. In the Advanced Configuration section, select the record type to verify. For the DNS server, enter one of the DNS server addresses assigned by Alibaba Cloud and click Detect Now. If the result matches the imported record, the record is active in Alibaba Cloud DNS.

   Alternatively, you can use the following commands to check whether the records are active.

   dig @ns1.alidns.com yourdomain A
   dig @ns1.alidns.com youdomain MX

Step 4. Modify DNS server addresses

1. View the DNS server addresses assigned by Alibaba Cloud

   1. On the Alibaba Cloud DNS - Public Authoritative Zone page, click the domain name that you added to go to the Settings page.

   2. Click View DNS Servers to view the addresses listed under System-assigned DNS. These are the authoritative DNS server addresses assigned by Alibaba Cloud for your domain name.

      

2. Change the DNS servers

   Changing the DNS server addresses switches the traffic to Alibaba Cloud DNS. Go to your domain name registrar and change the DNS server addresses to the ones assigned by Alibaba Cloud DNS. For instructions on how to change DNS servers for different registrars, see the relevant documentation:

   • How to change the DNS server for a Tencent Cloud domain name

   • Xinnet domain name

   • How to change the DNS for a Xin Net domain name

   • Changing a domain name's DNS servers on Huawei Cloud

   • Baidu AI Cloud domain name

   • How to modify the DNS settings for a domain name registered with West.cn

   Important

   Change the DNS servers during off-peak hours and monitor the resolution traffic. If you encounter any resolution anomalies, revert to the original DNS server addresses. Save the current configuration for troubleshooting, and attempt the migration again after the issue is resolved.

Step 5. Analyze traffic

1. Use the Traffic Analysis feature in Alibaba Cloud DNS to monitor whether DNS query traffic is successfully switched to the Alibaba Cloud DNS public authoritative zone. You can use the Query Source feature to analyze the data. This feature shows you which local DNS servers from carriers in different regions are propagating the changes and sending DNS queries to Alibaba Cloud DNS. Monitor the query data for at least 10 minutes. A gradual increase in query volume for each domain name indicates that the DNS migration is proceeding as expected. For more information, see Domain name resolution statistics.

2. Use the analytics feature of your previous DNS service to monitor changes in DNS traffic.

3. Monitor your services at the application level for any anomalies.

Step 6. Wait for DNS server changes to propagate globally (up to 48 hours)

During the 48-hour period for the DNS server change to propagate globally, some DNS queries will still be directed to your original DNS service provider. Do not shut down your original DNS service during this period. Avoid adding or modifying DNS records. If you must modify a record, make the same change with both your new and old DNS service providers to ensure data consistency.

Step 7. Remove the original DNS records (Optional)

We recommend that you remove the DNS records from your original provider one week after the migration to Alibaba Cloud DNS is complete.