Transferring domains without downtime

iantresman · 27-01-2004, 21:27

If I transfer a Web site between hosts, there is always downtime while the DNS resolves.

But what if I were to set my secondary DNS to the new host. a week before the transfer?

My DNS would either be found at the old host or the new one, and the domain will resolve to either the old servers or to the new ones?

Does my reasoning hold?

Regards,
Ian Tresman
Derby, UK

Shaun · 27-01-2004, 22:01

**Bump**

I'm don't know, but I'm sure there will be one of our internet geeks, sorry I mean guys (

), along in a sec, one of them will definitely know

**Paul** · 27-01-2004, 22:03

Am I missing something ? - are you saying your site exists on both hosts ? - if so then just change the A record - people simply won't notice when their resolution swaps from one IP to the other.

You should not do what you say (assuming I have understood it correctly) - it breaks the basic rules of dns (that the primary and secondary dns should match).

iantresman · 27-01-2004, 23:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by pem

Am I missing something ? - are you saying your site exists on both hosts ? - if so then just change the A record - people simply won't notice when their resolution swaps from one IP to the other.

You should not do what you say (assuming I have understood it correctly) - it breaks the basic rules of dns (that the primary and secondary dns should match).

I want to transfer the site from one host to another, so will not be able to use the old DNS soon.

I assume that downtime occurs when (a) the original hosts closes a Web site early (b) the new host DNS can not be found until it resolves.

By pointing the secondary DNS record to the new host, I was hoping that if a request could not find the primary host, then it would find the secondary. Once the tranfer has gone though, I would then change the primary DNS to the new host.

Regards,
Ian Tresman
Derby, UK

SMHarman · 27-01-2004, 23:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by iantresman

I want to transfer the site from one host to another, so will not be able to use the old DNS soon.

I assume that downtime occurs when (a) the original hosts closes a Web site early (b) the new host DNS can not be found until it resolves.

By pointing the secondary DNS record to the new host, I was hoping that if a request could not find the primary host, then it would find the secondary. Once the tranfer has gone though, I would then change the primary DNS to the new host.

Regards,
Ian Tresman
Derby, UK

Is this a static or dynamic site?

If it is a static site with no forums etc, then you copy (duplicate) it to the new site and keep it at the old. Check its working at the new, update the DNS records and it will be visible to both, you will get visitors at both over the 48hrs the DNS updates.

If its dynamic, well I've never worked with dynamic, but as long as you can point the dynamic bits to the same dbs (ip address?) then you could do the same?