interesting situation? 2 Servers: A Windows Server & A Linux Server

[wurdz]

Hey guys and gals, interesting needs here and need advice, pretty please



SITUATION DESCRIBED:

1) I want to set up a server.

2) I want to set up one Windows server and one Linux server.

3) I want to save money.

4) I want the Linux server to be the Mail Server so I don't have to spend a $1000 for mail server software.

5) I need to set up my nameserver names with one domain name for both servers. Each server will have two IP addresses provided by the dedicated server hosting company. Example:

---Example Starts Here---

NS1.DOMAINNAME.NET - goes to 1st Windows Server IP Address
NS2.DOMAINNAME.NET - goes to 2nd Windows Server IP Address
NS3.DOMAINNAME.NET - goes to 1st Linux Server IP Address
NS4.DOMAINNAME.NET - goes to 2nd Linux Server IP Address

---Example Ends Here---



QUESTIONS:

A) Can I set up a mailserver on the Linux server that works well and isn't too complicated to configure and is easy to back up?

B) If I can set up a mailserver on the Linux server, will I be able to host the sites on the Windows server and still use the mailserver functionality from the Linux server?

---Example Starts Here---

I set up a new customer to host on my own servers. The name of my customer's domain name is

http://WWW.MYCLIENTSDOMAINNAME.COM.

I have their web site on the Windows Server. I want to offer them POP3 email services by using the Linux Mail Server.

1B) Is this possible?

2B) When I set up the DNS for MYCLIENTSDOMAINNAME.COM, do I just enter NS1.DOMAINNAME.NET / NS2.DOMAINNAME.NET / NS3.DOMAINNAME.NET / NS4.DOMAINNAME.NET and the web site works and the email works from each respective server?

---Example Ends Here---



MORE QUESTIONS:

X) Given this setup, what do I have to do with MX records?

Y) Given this setup, what do I have to do on the servers to make this work? Do I have to use BIND or DNS services on the servers?

X) Anyone crazy enough to answer these questions? If so, thank you so much for being crazy. My mind is going crazy on this subject. Hope to hear from you!

Sincerely,

wurdz

 

[zaznet]

Well you are going to need to learn a little more abuot DNS first. From your example of "NS1.DOMAINNAME.NET" I can tell that you are not familiar with setting up name servers or DNS.

NSn.DOMAIN.COM are your Name Servers. These servers are the DNS servers others talk to to find out what hosts they can talk to. Hosts are your servers, workstations, printers, or other devices that are assigned a NAME (different than assigning an IP). At the risk of sounding redundant, we call the names, HOSTNAMES.

Mail servers use MX records. MX records are only used for email routing. MX records can contain IP addresses or hostnames. If they contain hostnames, these hostnames can be A records or CNAME records. A name records point directly to the IP address of a host or hosts. CNAME records point to another hostname (could be in another domain).

The A and MX records are unique from each other except that if you are missing the MX record, the MTA will route mail to the A or CNAME IP address as a default "fail over".

Your Linux Mail Server will need to have an MX record, and should have it's own hostname. Your Windows server will have it's own hostname.

WINDOWS.DOMAIN.COM
LINUX.DOMAIN.COM

Each name will point to the IP address(es) assigned to the servers. If you want to run web services on the windows server, you add a CNAME for "WWW" that uses "WINDOWS" as the reference. By default the lack of a domain postfix will assume a name within your domain is being used.

Users who visit

http://WWW.DOMAIN.COM

will go tot he windows server. Users who visit LINUX.DOMAIN.COM will of course go to the linux server. Email as stated earlier will use teh MX record, and will point to the domain hostname "LINUX". Mail will be routed to the Linux server in this way.

Now, the NS servers are the DNS servers that hold all of this information. Contact your ISP for what servers to use, and these go into your domain record held at the registrar (this is the company where you registered DOMAIN.COM).

Good luck, and don't be afraid to break the thing once or twice figuring it out.

Nathan aka: zaz (zaznet)
zaz@zaz.net

http://www.zaz.net/

 

[FaiTHLeSS]

Why are you giving each server 2 IPs?

What is the point in NS1-4 ?

If you are trying to fool other people into thinking you have 4 NS servers this isnt a good idea.

People will soon find out that you only have 2 NS servers instead of 4. As if 1 goes down then your setup 2NS servers would go down, seems kind of pointless setup. Just setup 2 NS servers and each server with 1IP unless you are hosting SSL sites that require their own IP.

You will also need to decide which server is going to host all the master records for the domain names and which server is going to be the secondary. This is the easier way of setting on NS servers but they are other ways to.

But before you start anything i recommend you do some more research also you might want to read some of the RFC on DNS servers.


Sites for testing your NS/DNS setup:

http://www.dnsreport.com

http://www.dnsstuff.com