dns failover

[nico]

I don't know if this is possible...

i want to set up a (relatively inexpensive) failover system at a different
location from the main one -
this should include DNS as well as web servers and database server -
What I'm planning is a standby system, not load sharing.

for instance "ns0.xx" and "ns1.xx" at the first location and a failover
system with "ns2.xx" at a different location

ns2.xx would have same host entries as the primary and secondary but this
time pointing to different ips (on a different range) -

I would like the failover system not to be hit by traffic unless the main
rack is unreachable - because this would point to a backup database server
where I don't want record updates (basically just a backup standby
environment)

so, if the domain record lists the third DNS , this might be hit by traffic
sometimes - no? which is what I don't want.
is there prioritisation?

or is there another way of having the third DNS (with all its system)
"dormant" until needed, and then switch back to the main environment when
things are back to normal? Preferably automatically.

Perhaps I'm going about it the wrong way - it'll be great to have some
pointers on the most appropriate strategy.

thanks

Nico

 

[Kevin D. Goodknecht [MVP]]

In

I don't know if this is possible...

i want to set up a (relatively inexpensive) failover system at a
different location from the main one -
this should include DNS as well as web servers and database server -
What I'm planning is a standby system, not load sharing.

for instance "ns0.xx" and "ns1.xx" at the first location and a
failover system with "ns2.xx" at a different location

ns2.xx would have same host entries as the primary and secondary but
this time pointing to different ips (on a different range) -

I would like the failover system not to be hit by traffic unless the
main rack is unreachable - because this would point to a backup
database server where I don't want record updates (basically just a
backup standby environment)

so, if the domain record lists the third DNS , this might be hit by
traffic sometimes - no? which is what I don't want.
is there prioritisation?

or is there another way of having the third DNS (with all its system)
"dormant" until needed, and then switch back to the main environment
when things are back to normal? Preferably automatically.

Perhaps I'm going about it the wrong way - it'll be great to have some
pointers on the most appropriate strategy.

thanks

Nico

Doing it this way would mean that your web site would not be accessible for
two or three days while your changes propagate.
I would suggest having someone else host a secondary zone but that won't
help if you lose everything and cannot change the records in it.
Better yet get your Public DNS hosted by someone else with the TTL on the
www record at 1 hour or less, then all you need to do is change the www
record to your backup web server and you will only be down a maximum of one
hour while the TTL runs out on the www record.