How to Import and Export DNS Zones in Plesk Make it Rain Paper

Pre-requirements

• Plesk Obsidian installed on your server.
• Administrator access to the Plesk control panel.
• Installed Transfer of DNS Records extension in Plesk.
• Basic knowledge of DNS zone files and their formats.

Introduction

The Transfer of DNS Records extension in Plesk allows users to easily import and export DNS zone files. This functionality is useful for migrating DNS records between servers, creating backups of your DNS configurations, or restoring DNS settings when needed. This guide walks you through the process of importing and exporting DNS zones in Plesk.

Step 1: Install the Transfer of DNS Records Extension

1. Log into your Plesk control panel as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Extensions > Extensions Catalog.
3. Search for the Transfer of DNS Records extension.
4. Click Get It Free to install the extension.

Once installed, the extension will be available for use in the DNS Settings section of each domain in Plesk.

Gotchas to Avoid

• Ensure the extension is installed and enabled. Without this extension, the import/export functionality will not be available.
• Ensure the DNS service is enabled on the server for proper functionality.

Step 2: Export DNS Zone from Plesk

To export a DNS zone from Plesk, follow these steps:

1. Go to Domains > example.com > DNS Settings.
2. Click the Export button located in the toolbar.
3. Choose the format in which you want to export the DNS zone (e.g., Bind, JSON, etc.).
4. Click Download to save the exported DNS zone file to your local machine.

Linux Command to Backup DNS Zones (Optional)

# Backup DNS zone configuration directly via CLI
plesk bin dns --export example.com -file /path/to/dns-backup-file

This command exports the DNS zone file to the specified location on the server.

Gotchas to Avoid

• Ensure that the domain name is correctly specified in the DNS settings before exporting the zone file.
• Backup the DNS zone file before making any modifications to ensure you can restore it if needed.

Step 3: Import DNS Zone into Plesk

To import a DNS zone into Plesk, follow these steps:

1. Go to Domains > example.com > DNS Settings.
2. Click the Import button in the toolbar.
3. Select the DNS zone file you wish to import (e.g., Bind or JSON format).
4. Click OK to import the DNS zone records from the file into the Plesk DNS settings.

Linux Command to Import DNS Zones (Optional)

# Import DNS zone from a file via CLI
plesk bin dns --import example.com -file /path/to/dns-zone-file

This command imports a DNS zone file to the specified domain in Plesk.

Gotchas to Avoid

• Make sure that the DNS zone file is in a compatible format (e.g., Bind or JSON).
• Check that the file includes valid DNS records before importing. An invalid file may result in DNS errors.

Verifying DNS Zone Import/Export

Once you've imported or exported a DNS zone, it's important to verify that the DNS records were properly applied. You can do this using DNS lookup tools like dig or nslookup.

Linux Commands to Verify DNS Records

• Verify A record:

dig A example.com

• Verify NS record:

dig NS example.com

• Verify MX record:

dig MX example.com

You can also check the Plesk control panel under DNS Settings to ensure that all records have been imported correctly.

Additional Resources

• Plesk Transfer of DNS Records Extension Documentation
• Plesk CLI Documentation

Gotchas to Avoid

• Ensure that DNS services are properly configured on the server before attempting to import or export DNS zones.
• If you're migrating DNS records between servers, verify that the new DNS settings are propagated across your nameservers.
• Always verify the imported records to ensure that no errors occurred during the transfer process.

By following this guide, you can easily import or export DNS zone files in Plesk using the Transfer of DNS Records extension. Whether you're migrating DNS records, backing up configurations, or restoring DNS settings, the import/export functionality provides a powerful and efficient way to manage DNS zones in Plesk.

For more DNS management tips and tutorials, visit our Knowledge Base.