Using the centron name server

Adding your domain to your centron account allows you to manage the domain’s DNS records directly via the interface in your ccloud area and via the API. Domains that you manage with centron also integrate with centron’s load balancers and S3 Object Storage to simplify automatic SSL certificate management.

DNS (Domain Name System) is a naming system that maps a server’s domain name, such as example.com, to an IP address, such as 203.0.113.1. This enables you to redirect a domain name to the web server that hosts the content of that domain.

To set up a domain name, you need to purchase it from a domain name registrar and then configure the DNS records for it. Registrars are organisations that have undergone an accreditation process which allows them to sell domain names. Registrars usually also offer services for managing DNS records, but once you have purchased a domain, most registrars allow you to manage your DNS records with other providers.

centron is not a domain name registrar, but you can manage your DNS records from the centron control panel. This can make managing records easier, as centron DNS integrates with ccloud³ VMs and load balancers.

To follow this tutorial, you will need a domain name that you own or control.

To find your domain’s registrar, you can use the ICANN WHOIS website or run the whois command from a Linux or macOS terminal:

whois example.com

The registrar’s website is listed in the ‘Registrar URL’ field:

Domain Name: EXAMPLE.COM
   Registry Domain ID: 2336799_DOMAIN_COM-VRSN
   Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.iana.org
   Registrar URL: http://res-dom.iana.org
   Updated Date: 2017-08-14T07:04:03Z
   Creation Date: 1995-08-14T04:00:00Z
. . .

To change the name servers, you will need to log in to the account management section of your domain registrar’s website. Once you have logged in, follow the instructions for your registrar set out below. If your registrar is not listed, please check their documentation on how to change name servers.