DNS domains (called “zones”) can be moved from any platform to Total Uptime’s DNS platform easily and without impact to end users. In this document, we will outline the steps required to ensure a smooth, zero-impact migration. Read more online at: http://totaluptime.com/moving-dns-zones-from-another-dns-provider-to-total-uptime/

1. Migrating DNS zones from another DNS provider
(or your own DNS servers) to Total Uptime.
DNS domains (called “zones”) can be migrated from any platform to Total Uptime’s DNS
platform easily and without impact to end users. In this document, we will outline the steps
required to ensure a smooth, zero-impact migration.
There are 4 simple steps…
Here are the steps required to migrate zones from your current DNS platform/infrastructure to ours.
Total Uptime will assist all customers with this to make it as easy as possible, ensuring zero-impact to
end users. If you need our help, just reach out to us!
1. Choose a Freeze Period
Before you copy zones from the current DNS provider or system, you’ll want to choose a “Freeze
Period” for DNS. While this is not essential, it is highly recommended. The Freeze Period can be
any length of time you choose (generally one or two days) where you will not make any changes
to your DNS records. This is important, because at the beginning of the Freeze Period, you will
copy (not move) your zones from the current platform to the new one so you can begin to
review them and familiarize yourself with how to make changes to your records. So, choose any
day you want for your freeze period. Weekends are great.
2. Copy the Zones from the Old Platform and Import to the New
On the first day of your freeze period, copy (emphasis on copy, not move) your zones from the
current DNS platform to the new one. Many organizations, such as GoDaddy, DNSmadeeasy and
others, simplify the process by giving you access to handy zone export tools. Sadly, some
providers, like Network Solutions, do not. Systems like BIND or Microsoft DNS also make it
easy… not necessarily with an export function, but they make it easy enough to grab the zone
files from the system.
If you can retrieve the zone files from your current provider or system:
Now that you have a copy of your zones, be sure that each zone file is named to match the zone.

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For example, if your domain is example.com, that particular zone file should be named
example.com.txt or example.com.dns or example.com.zone (these are common extensions for
many export tools and other DNS systems, so we support them all). If you have a large number
of zone files, put them into a single Zip file to make importing easier and quicker. But make sure
that you separate your primary, secondary and reverse zones into separate zip files. We can’t
import them all at once right now.
Now that you have your zones named and zipped (if applicable), go to the IMPORT/EXPORT tab
in the cloud DNS portal and click the IMPORT radio button. Then choose “From Files”. Select the
record type of your first batch or zip file (primary, secondary, reverse), click the SELECT FILES
button and find the files (or zip) from your computer. When uploaded to the queue window,
click the UPLOAD button that will appear.
Figure 1: The Import dialog
As the domains upload, you will see the results in the results pane on the right. When
completed, go to the DOMAINS tab to review and/or correct any errors that were shown. You
will see all of your domains in the table. You can click the black arrow icon to the left of each
domain to expand and show the records. For each record type, you can click the black arrow at
the right to view the records. Keep in mind, there may be multiple pages within each record
type if you have a lot of records. Make sure everything looks like it should.
If you are unable to export the zone files… e.g. Network Solutions
Some providers, as we mentioned earlier, don’t have a handy export function. In this case, you’ll
have to manually key in your domains. Total Uptime can complete this process for you if you are

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comfortable providing your credentials to us. Otherwise, follow these steps to migrate your
domains.
a. Go to the DOMAINS tab.
b. Click +ADD from the toolbar.
c. Enter your domain name, email address and click save. All other boxes can be left at
their default recommended values.
d. Now expand the domain in the table by clicking the black arrow at the left
e. Click the ADD NEW RECORD TYPE button and choose the one you wish to create records
for. For example, ‘A’ records.
f. Now create individual records for each entry in your existing DNS portal, ensuring they
are entered identically to what you see there.
g. When it comes to MX records, some providers do not show a HOSTNAME box like we
do. Enter the @ symbol to create an MX record for the root/apex of your domain (which
is what most organizations need).
h. Repeat all of the above for all record types. If you need help, just give us a call!
3. Verify your domains have imported correctly
Now that your domains have been successfully imported (or if there errors, you still need to do
this), go to the DOMAINS tab. There you will see a listing of them. You can expand each domain
to view the records within, and expand each record category to view the records. Make sure
that everything looks good and corresponds with what you remember each domain having. Be
sure to check your MX records too.
You should also spot check your domains using an external tool to ensure our name servers are
answering them. While this isn’t required, it’s good practice, just to be sure. To do this, visit our
testing tool at http://tools.totaluptime.com. At the top of the tools page you will see our
NSLOOKUP tool as shown below in figure 2. Enter the record you want to test in the domain
field (e.g. www.example.com, mail.example.com etc.) and then enter one of our name servers in
the server field, e.g. a1.uberns.com. Click GO and look for the results. If everything is correct,
you’ll see an ANSWER RECORDS section on the following page showing what you queried and
the resulting IP address. The other sections like Authority and Additional records can be ignored.
Figure 2: The NSLookup test tool

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Once you have completed a few spot checks to be sure that things are generally okay (you
certainly don’t need to check every record, just a few), you’re ready to move onto the next step.
4. Change the Name Servers at the Registrar
Now that you’ve imported, reviewed and spot checked your zones and are happy with the way
things look, you’re ready to switch over! Simply go to your registrar and change the name
servers from the current ones to the new ones listed below. Within 48 hours (but generally less)
all DNS queries will come to the new platform and stop going to the old one. During this 48 hour
period you should refrain from making changes.
Here are a couple links to common domain registrars and how to change name servers:
GoDaddy: http://support.godaddy.com/help/article/664/setting-nameservers-for-your-domain-
names#custom The select the 2nd
option “Setting Custom Nameservers for a domain registered
with us”
Network Solutions: http://www.networksolutions.com/support/move-dns-to-a-new-server/
That’s it – You’re Done! Now you can abandon your zones on the old platform and simply make changes
to them on the new one moving forward. Purge them from the old one in due course, but leaving them
there won’t affect anything since the old name servers are no longer authoritative. If you have an
account at the old provider that has a fee associated with it, it would be safe to close it after 72 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new Name Servers I should use?
We have several generic name servers you can use. They are as follows:
a1.uberns.com b1.uberns.com
a1.uberns.net b1.uberns.net
a1.uberns.org b1.uberns.org
a1.uberns.info b1.uberns.info
a1.uberns.co.uk b1.uberns.co.uk
When choosing name servers, we recommend using one from each of the a1 and b1 columns making
the first one match the TLD of your domain and the second, third or fourth having different TLDs (TLD =
Top Level Domain, otherwise known as the extension).
For example, if your domain is test.com, use a1.uberns.com and b1.uberns.net. If your domain is

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test.net, use a1.uberns.net and b1.uberns.org. This creates redundancy, but also ensures performance
by matching the TLD. Most domain registrars support many name servers, so use up to 6.
How does this migration process eliminate downtime?
During the period following the change of your name servers from the current ones to the new ones at
your registrar, both the old DNS platform and the new DNS platform will have identical copies of your
zones. This means that in the event a user is directed to the old one even after you’ve made the change
to the new one, the old platform will still answer authoritatively with the correct DNS information
because it’s still there. Generally, within 48 hours (but often less), queries will stop hitting the old
platform at which point it is safe to delete the domains from there.
What if I have to make changes during the freeze period or right after I change the name
servers at my domain Registrar?
Generally, you should avoid this at all costs, hence our suggestion for a planned freeze period. But if you
must, make the changes on both platforms to ensure that in the event a user is directed to the old
platform, they will still receive the right DNS response to their query. But be aware, not all other DNS
providers allow this. Network Solutions, for example, will disable your access to the DNS Zone
information once you change the name servers to ours! In that case, you’ll just need to wait 24 hours, or
go ahead and make the change/update on our platform, but understand that a fraction of people on the
Internet may not see that change/update for 24 hours.
If you have any questions about the process, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help
make the process smooth for all of our customers. The best method to reach us is by creating a ticket at
http://support.totaluptime.com or by emailing support@totaluptime.com. You can also call us at (800)
584-1514.