Skip to main content

How to Point site via pointdns on heroku





Pointing site via PointDNS



Why PointDNS ?


By Default Heroku supports CNAME records only. CNAME record does not require hard-coded IP addresses and allows Heroku to manage the set of IPs associated with your domain. However, CNAME records are not available at the zone apex and can’t be used to configure root domains


Heroku doesn’t support DNS A-records and does not provide hard-coded IP addresses which are required for A-records DNS. This prevents your infrastructure provider from assigning your app a new IP address on your behalf when adverse conditions arise and can have a serious impact on your app’s uptime.


PointDNS add-on provide us the facility to add A-records DNS on Heroku app



Step 1


Export Zone records from DNS panel (just for reference) : In Godaddy we have the option to export Zone records for unix / windows , export in either way so that we can save it for case if we need to revert those records.


Step 2


Add domain to be pointed to production app via CLI


run heroku login


add heroku details


run `heroku domains:add sitename -a productionappname`


run `heroku domains -a productionappname` to verify


Step 3


Add ‘PointDNS’ add on heroku in production APP, when you click on pointDNS this will automatically start showing sitename added on step 2(c).


Step 4


Add all the records from domain name registrar to pointDNS , there are some record which needs be entered in different format , so read the placeholder test carefully in pointdns.


Step 5


Just to make sure ,compare the added records on pointdns with exported file in step 1.


Step 6


Update the NS on domain name registrar , replace originals NS by pointDNS NS.


PS: there are generally 3-4 NS provided by pointdns , as some service only accept 2 so make sure to add top records like


dns12.pointhq.com*

dns15.pointhq.com*

dns14.pointhq.com(optional in case only 2 are required)

dns8.pointhq.com(optional in case only 2 are required)


Step 7


When a domain is newly registered, or the nameservers are changed, or DNS changes are made, you can expect a propagation time up to 24 hours. This is because it takes time for the DNS to take effect across the internet. The actual time of propagation may vary in some locations based on your network setup. Generally it would take 2-3 hours.


Step 8


Verify on visiting pointDNS addons & clicking a dot next to domain name, this will recheck the NS and if the status becomes green then everything went well while pointing , but remember this will test the NS not all the records so that we have to verify from client.


Step 9


Check the status on DNS checker , this will provide all the latest zone records except CNAME.


Step 10


If the above url is showing pointDNS NS , then you have successfully updated the NS & rest records like MX can be confirmed from client as there email should work in same as was working before.


If this doesn't succeed we can revert the NS on domain name registrar just by importing the records that were exported in step 1 & look into the possible error that we may have made during the process.so the possible issues can be :


Adding wrong Zone records


Services may be down on heroku end


Taking more time than expected while updating NS records


PS:While making changes in NS , please check domain forwarding , masking or SSL ,If SSL is already implemented on domain , then it must be uploaded & verified on the app or site where we are pointing the website to.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When Should Developers Use AI to Plan vs Just Start Coding?

When and How Should Developers Use AI — Plan First or Start Generating Code? Last week, a developer on our team opened an AI tool before writing a single line of code. The task? Change a button label. A few minutes later, the AI had suggested architecture improvements, refactoring strategies, testing layers, and performance considerations… for a one-line change. We laughed. But it revealed something important: Using AI isn’t the challenge anymore. Knowing  when and how  to use it is. The Real Decision: Generate Code or Think First? Today, developers face a new daily choice: Should I ask AI to generate code right away… or should I use AI to help me plan first? Starting with code feels fast. It gives you that dopamine hit of "done." But without clarity, rapid generation often leads to rework, hidden bugs, and "spaghetti code" that just happens to be syntax-perfect. Great developers use AI differently. They decide  whether the problem needs thinking or typing . A memor...
Post a Comment
Read more

Securing Your Emails: A Simple Guide to Email Authentication and Best Practices

Email security is crucial in today's digital landscape, and implementing authentication measures like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM can go a long way in safeguarding your domain. Here's an easy-to-follow guide to ensure your emails are authenticated and delivered securely: 1. Implement DMARC, SPF, and DKIM: Follow these steps for popular email services: Postmark Refer to the instructions provided in this link SendGrid Check the relevant information on their platform. Mailchimp Follow the recommended steps on their platform. 2. Validate Forward and Reverse DNS Records: Make sure your sending domains or IPs have valid forward and reverse DNS records (PTR records). Check resources for each service: Postmark Provides coverage for this aspect. SendGrid  Find the necessary information here Mailchimp Follow the guidelines specified by Mailchimp. 3. Maintain Low Spam Rates: Keep spam rates below 0.3% in Postmaster Tools and consider configuring Google Postmaster for additional insights into...
Post a Comment
Read more

Complete guide: integrating POSTGIS with Laravel

PostGIS - It is an open-source software extension for the PostgreSQL relational database management system. It enables support for geographic objects and spatial queries, making it a powerful tool for working with geographic information systems (GIS) data. PostGIS allows you to store, manipulate, and analyze spatial data, such as points, lines, polygons, and other geometric objects. How to Setup PostGIS with Laravel To set up PostGIS with Laravel, you'll need to follow a few steps. PostGIS is an extension for PostgreSQL that allows you to work with geospatial data, and Laravel is a popular PHP framework. Before proceeding, ensure you have PostgreSQL installed on your server or local development environment. Here's a step-by-step guide to setting up PostGIS with Laravel: 1. Install Laravel: If you haven't already, install Laravel using Composer. Open your terminal and run the following command: composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel project-name 2. Configure...
Post a Comment
Read more