Automatic DNS Failover HELP

[implexant]

Hello all,

I've got a small handful of personal websites that I'm hosting here on my 2000 Server (which btw is an AD domain - lets call it serverA.domain.com). I've been messing around with and trying to determine what I have to do to have some sort of "off site" backup server.

I already have the server in place (lets call it serverB.domain.com) and live on the internet; it's configured as a stand alone 2000 box, not using AD, but with IIS & DNS installed. It's in another state, on another ISP, with all of my zones created and IIS sites copied over as well.

I have serverA handling nameserver requests to NS1.domain.com, and serverB handing nameserver requests to NS2.domain.com. Now in the even serverA goes down, loses internet connection, or any number of things, I'd imagine that, by the design of the Internet, any nameserver requests will automatically be redirected to NS2.domain.com. Is my thinking correct, or is there something else that has to be in place to tell the request to look at the second nameserver?

However, this just doesn't seem to work. When pausing the zones for a domain, it just doesn't resolve instead of going to the second NS and resolving to the backup server.

Any advise, direction on my misguided thoughts, or real life examples gladly welcome!

-Chris

[DVNT1]

When using NSLOOKUP to test the 2nd DNS server, does it resolve correctly? If not, ensure you have defined this 2nd DNS as being Authoritative too.

[Siliconjunkie]

Have you set both of these up with your registrar as well? Not just listing the names, but name/ip.

Make sure your nslookup for ns records looks like this (from outside your network):

root@lithium [~]# nslookup
Note:  nslookup is deprecated and may be removed from future releases.
Consider using the `dig' or `host' programs instead.  Run nslookup with
the `-sil[ent]' option to prevent this message from appearing.
> set type=ns
> google.com
Server:         127.0.0.1
Address:        127.0.0.1#53

Non-authoritative answer:
google.com      nameserver = ns3.google.com.
google.com      nameserver = ns4.google.com.
google.com      nameserver = ns1.google.com.
google.com      nameserver = ns2.google.com.

Authoritative answers can be found from:
ns1.google.com  internet address = 216.239.32.10
ns2.google.com  internet address = 216.239.34.10
ns3.google.com  internet address = 216.239.36.10
ns4.google.com  internet address = 216.239.38.10
>

[implexant]

the actual name servers are as follows:

ns1.memphis-it.net
ns2.memphis-it.net

one of the domains being hosted on the primary server and backup server is www.lutrosis.net

Right now it resolves to the backup server (66.93.39.125) which is odd. Cuz the primary server is up right now.

Any ideas?

-Chris

[DVNT1]

Right now both NS servers resolve to the same IP address of 24.56.72.14 !

[implexant]

ya we had to fix that so that everything works until we get this figured out.

basically, we want the DNS to auto failover to server 2 when server 1 is down. and we don't wanna pay zoneedit $10.95 per domain per year just for backup.

so, anyone have any good suggestions? i'd just about kill to make this work.

-Chris

[DVNT1]

What's the actaul IP of the other DNS server?

[implexant]

ns1.memphis-it.net = 24.56.72.14
ns2.memphis-it.net = 66.93.39.125

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks again,

-Chris

[implexant]

BTW, the DNS server @ ns2.memphis-it.net is shut off right because the internet keeps wanting to resolve to it. We only want the internet to resolve to it when server1 is down.

-Chris

[DVNT1]

I could help you check into the problem if you can turn it back on (maybe with a different IP address for testing?).