Newbie server/nameserver question
 

I have a dedicated server. I want as close to 100% uptime for my sites as possible (they are important).

If I make identical sites but put them on a different server with a different host, can I make it so that if my main server goes down, the secondary server with the different host just carries on serving my pages? So the customer will see no downtime?

It got me thinking, you know the nameservers you register with your domain names? Well, both I have specified are pointing to the same machine.

If this can be done, can it be done simply by specifying the second server as either the second or third entry in the DNS where I registered the domain name?

This is probably really obvious to most. Sorry if it's newbish. When it comes to server stuff, I am newbie. Or maybe I haven't explained myself properly (not really knowing the jargon)

Any help is much appreciated!

I don't think it can be done on the DNS side. Your domain and its subdomains have zone entries that point to an IP, and that is static for the most part. You could install some sort of load sharing across several servers, so in case one goes down, the others can take over the requests.

I might be wrong though.

The DNS entries at your domain name registrar are there to provide redundancy in case the primary DNS server goes down. This way your domain name will still resolve properly.

Thanks for replying to me.

Both DNS entries I have made are pointing to my server. But on different IP's I think.

Does this need changing then? (to acomplish the goal of ensuring as little downtime as possible)

Do you run your own DNS then, I assume? Usually, the DNS servers should be on seperate C class IP blocks, running your own DNS on your own server with two dedicated IPs is risky. If your server goes down, both DNS servers will go down the shitter with it, there is no redundancy and any other domains that you may have configured on your DNS server won't resolve as a result of that.

I am not sure what you mean though, do you want uptime on the DNS side or ensure uptime on the server side? DNS servers should rarely go down, your host should take care of that for you.

Like I said, I'm a newb :error I've paid others take care of all this stuff for past 5 years, god only knows why I'm taking it on now.

Ok... Without letting the masses know my IP's etc.

Here is what it looks like:

ns1.myservername.hosthead.com
ns2.myservername.hosthead.com

The IP's are all just one number apart (the last digit).

So for example, my server ip is ***.**.**.**1
Firstnameserver IP is same numbers ***.**.**.**2
second nameserver ***.**.**.**3

And it looks like they are all my IPs...

I guess that sucks huh?:(

There are a couple of ways to do this.

If you'd like to rely on DNS to handle events, it is possible to create zones that will act as a round robin.

However, if your 2 servers are located with 1 hosting company, then you could do this on the router level and institute a failover procedure.

Also, third party DNS providers such as this one: http://www.ultradns.com/services/sitebacker.cfm provide you with an easy to use and easy to manage method of reducing downtime.

However, if you really need 100% uptime, I highly suggest getting the help of a qualified sysadmin that you trust and then make these decisions together.

Use a third party service for DNS like ULTRADNS and make sure you have a short TTL. You could probably use their service to divide the traffic between two hosts and then if one host was down login and change out the DNS settings that point to the offline host.

Brad

Exact. All previous answers were non relevant.

Round Robin, setup NS on both machines and add an " exterior " NS such as above or zoneedit.com.

To make it even better, get the second server in another geographical location, as Europe ... and no, I don't offer servers there ... at least yet.

Good luck.

contact the people at www.daemon.be.

Thanks for all your replies, very helpful. I believe I will be able to find a solution now. :thumbsup