Apply DNS Template Changes? I don't understand this.

[JeffreyZ]

I just added a C Name record for a client and after confirming the change I got another "Warning" that said this: The DNS zone was modified. If you would like to apply DNS template changes to this zone, either click the 'Apply DNS Template Changes' button on this page or choose the 'Apply the changes to all zones' option.

I see in the Plesk manual it says:
Apply changes to all zones.
Use this option to deliver changes to all zones at once.

And further:
Note: If you apply changes to all zones, the zones become unaltered and will remain in this status until somebody modifies them. The same goes for a user-modified zone if you apply the changes directly to it.

I am not understanding what this means. If I do something like add MX records or add a C Name record for one client's domain, should I take the extra step of "apply changes to all zones"?

 

[Faris Raouf]

There are two possibilities here.

1) You accidentally modified the DNS template for the entire server, rather than for one client. This would result in Plesk asking you if you want to change all zones, which is what is happening in your case.
2) Something is very wrong - when you modify a DNS record for an individual client, nothing like you describe should happen.

 

[JeffreyZ]

Faris. Thanks for your reply.

I looked at my DNS template (server wide under Tools & Settings) and the client change I made is not there. However I see that all my clients DNS records now say "Warning: The DNS zone was modified. If you would like to apply DNS template changes to this zone, either click the 'Apply DNS Template Changes' button on this page or choose the 'Apply the changes to all zones' option in Server Administration Panel > Tools & Settings > DNS Template Settings > Apply DNS Template Changes."

I see my DNS change has not happened for my client (added a cname record) and I suspect that is because I need to click "apply dns template changes". In the past I don't recall "template" being part of the language when making a DNS change so it is a concern. On mousing over this button it says "apply changes from the server wide dns template to the zone". In that I have not seen the change on mxtoolbox 24 hours later (TTL was 48 hours) I have decided to click that button and it then said "The changes from the DNS template were successfully applied to the zone.." which to me sounds like it only effected this one client's DNS.

This change does not show in server wide DNS settings.

Anyone have thoughts on whether this is normal verbiage for a DNS change on a client's domain, or is something wrong here? I'm hoping it's just that the verbiage changed in Plesk 11. I see older versions (see attached) didn't say that.

 

[Faris Raouf]

Unfortunately I don't have a Plesk 11 system to test.

What you can do is add another record to the same domain. See what Plesk then says -- does it say something AS WELL as talking about the DNS template change?

Note that the actual DNS template change (if there is one) may have been something that won't affect anything significant. The changes that will be applied are basically what you can see in the DNS template settings page. Also check out the zone defaults and DNS format. So if you can't see anything "wrong" in the DNS template settings, maybe applying them won't cause any problems. It is a shame that the actual changes that will be applied are not shown in the form of a list. This is a feature that should be added in Plesk 13 if enough of us ask for it via the Uservoice site!

 

[UFHH01]

Hi JeffreyZ,

please have a look at the documentation: Applying DNS Template Changes (Linux) ( online documentation: Administrator's Guide, Plesk 12.0 )

Once you change the structure of the server-wide DNS template, you can apply changes to existing zones in Plesk for Linux by clicking Apply DNS Template Changes. The following options become available after clicking Apply DNS Template Changes:

• Apply changes to unaltered zones.
  Use this option if you desire to obtain more control and apply changes only to direct template copies leaving user-modified zones for manual review and per-zone application.
• Apply changes to all zones.
  Use this option to deliver changes to all zones at once.

To apply changes to a particular zone, open the related subscription in the Control Panel, and go to Websites & Domains > <domain_name> >DNS Settings and select the zone. You should see the corresponding button in the toolbar.

Note: If you apply changes to all zones, the zones become unaltered and will remain in this status until somebody modifies them. The same goes for a user-modified zone if you apply the changes directly to it.

In Plesk for Windows, the changes in the server-wide DNS template are applied only to newly created zones.



The template changes are applied using the following rules:

• User-modified records always remain intact (are not modified or removed under any circumstances).
• Records added to the template are added to the zone.
• Records removed from the template are removed from the zone (if they were not changed by users before that).
• Records modified in the template are modified in the zone (if they were not changed by users before that).

Note: After restoration, migration, or upgrade, all zones are treated as user-modified by default, so no changes will be applied if you update something in the DNS template and forward the changes only to unaltered zones. If you wish to perform DNS zone changes in bulk after upgrade, apply the changes to all zones at the first time.

As you can see, your described issue is an absolute normal behaviour - you modify/add something, but without "APPLYING" ( either system - wide, or for a spefic domain ), there won't be any changes untill you confirm your modification by "APPLYING".

So now to your question:

I am not understanding what this means. If I do something like add MX records or add a C Name record for one client's domain, should I take the extra step of "apply changes to all zones"?

No, this option is only necessary, if you want this specific modification to be set on ALL domains. Your global DNS - template will then being changed to the modification.


Correction to:

1) You accidentally modified the DNS template for the entire server, rather than for one client. This would result in Plesk asking you if you want to change all zones, which is what is happening in your case.
2) Something is very wrong - when you modify a DNS record for an individual client, nothing like you describe should happen.

This normal behaviour will be existent, if you are logged in with an admin - account. A customer-account doesn't have the option to setup global templates, so he/she never will have the option "Apply changes to all zones".

 

[JeffreyZ]

Got it. Thanks UFHH01!

And thanks again, Faris.