AWS, Route 53, Heroku, works but I don't know Why - amazon-web-services

I have a website that is a herokuapp app. For the past 5 years I regsitered the domain of this website / app with godaddy, and made the configuration necessary in the DNS and forwarding to the heroku address.
last month I decided to switch over to route 53 and AWS, I filled out the relevant forms and released the domain from godaddy , the transfer succeeded, and the domain is registered with route 53.
I thought that I would have to go in at one point and configure route53 to use the configuration I did in godaddy ( forwarding to heroku ) but somehow without doing anything the domain is working and the forwarding is there.
I have no problem , I just want to know how did this happen? if Route 53 automatically picked up the configuration from godaddy ( which is what I assume happened but would like to know more ) where in route53 can I inspect the configuration ( in casr I want to modify it in the future ).
Thanks.
Update :
After some digging around on www.whatsmydns.net I found out that my site Nameservers are ns44.domaincontrol.com. I called godaddy customer support asking them about this and they said that when they get a request to transfer a domain everything is migrated over (assuming to route53 )
I don;t know when will this expire from ns44.domaincontrol.com, but I still haven;t gone to route 53 and started the process of creating a hosted zone and other details, I am afraid its gonna mess up the existing setup , so If anyone has experience and can recommend a course of action I appreciate it.

When you transfer your domain to AWS Route53 there's an option to keep existing nameservers. You probably chose to do that. But it's not advised as mentioned here in AWS doc:
If the registrar for your domain is also the DNS service provider for
the domain, we highly recommend that you consider transferring your
DNS service to Amazon Route 53 or another DNS service provider before
you transfer your registration. Some registrars provide free DNS
service when you purchase a domain registration. When you transfer the
registration, the previous registrar will not renew your domain
registration and could end your DNS service at any time.
Source: Transferring Registration for a Domain to Amazon Route 53

Related

AWS Change DNS without affecting Workmail

I have a Wix website and in order to connect my AWS domain to it so
I changed the Nameservers (in registered domains to Wix)
Updated the NS records (in hosted zones to Wix)
*I noticed (when in hosted zones) that when I click "Hosted Zone Details" it has AWS Name servers.
I have WorkMail set up but now it won't find the correct settings (after it was previously working well) and it has the message: "Your Route 53 hosted zone for this domain needs to be set as authoritative. To learn how to set a hosted zone as authoritative, see Migrating DNS in the AWS Route 53 Developer Guide."
So, I'm not sure what to do in order to make my domain work with Wix and have my Workmail working correctly. It seems like one or the other unless I'm missing something, any help is appreciated!
Your right, you need to pick one. I dont believe there is a requirement for either of them where your namesevers are hosted - its just they point you towards their own services as its generally easier to setup ;-)
Your old zone in Route 53 will have MX, TXT and CNAME records specifically for workmail. When you switched nameservers you lost those records. Take a look at this page for more info: https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/add-verify-domain-workmail/
Option 1
Leave your nameservers pointing to WIX and re-setup WorkMail
Option 2
Revert your name servers to Route53 and setup WIX to use route53 (im not familar with Wix but this looks about right - https://support.wix.com/en/article/connecting-a-domain-to-wix-using-the-pointing-method - basically you create an A record for example.com and a CNAME for www.example.com in Route53 with values from Wix.

Connecting AWS Lightsail, Route 53, and Cloudfront

I have recently created a cloudfront distribution (using the LightSail admin area) for a Lightsail instance running Plesk on Ubuntu. I have created custom domains and validated them and they are "Valid, in use".
My domain is hosted through Route 53. When I delete the static IP address value of the apex domain record by changing the "Value/Route traffic to" an "Alias to CloudFront distribution" and then paste the distribution address, (ex: 123456abcdef.cloudfront.net) the entire site goes down.
My cloudfront address (ex: 123456abcdef.cloudfront.net) is resolving to the default Plesk domain. I just seem to have problems with proper Route 53 DNS configuration.
I have followed the instructions here with no success: https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/hands-on/map-your-domain-at-route53-to-lightsail/4/
I have also looked at a similiar post on Stack Overflow here: How to apply CDN with cloudfront - router 53 => lightsail instance However, I have not configured my cloudfront distribution in cloudfront, but rather in Lightsail.
Here is an image of my apex DNS Record:
Image of my A record entry
Do I need to create another record in my hosted zone? A record that continues to point the apex domain to the static IP?
Any help appreciated. Thanks.
I am responding to my own question with an answer I think addresses the problem in an alternate way.
I have been trying for a month to set up a CloudFront on my WordPress site running on a Lightsail Instance running Plesk using Route 53 as my DNS provider. I have finally been able to get it running. I installed the AWS for Wordpress Plugin. Follow this guide to set up a user.
Plugin Setup AWS Doc
My preferred domain is www.mydomain.ca. My WP site is setup to direct to www.mydomain.ca NOT mydomain.ca. In route 53 my apex domain (mydomain.ca) points to my static ip. The www.mydomain.ca record is set an ALIAS A record and points to the cloudfront domain name (123456abcdef.cloudfront.net). During set up the AWS WP pluging told me to set www.mydomain.ca to a CNAME ALIAS which will not work. I found some more useful documentation in another thread on SO.
It all seems to be working. However, you need to make sure you do not have any other cloudfront distributions connected to the origin (youdomain.ca), active or inactive, in the Cloudfront admin area OR the Lightsail admin area. This causes a conflict and the set up in the WP admin area will fail.
I hope this post helps someone and saves them a month &%$%ing around with Cloudfront Wordpress setup using Lightsail and Route 53.

How to create a sub domain to point to Cloudfront CDN endpoint using a domain managed outside of AWS

We purchased a domain from GoDaddy, for example, say mycompany.com.
My colleague then moved it to Wix.com to publish our marketing site, which will be available at the mycompany.com url. I need to add a subdomain in AWS, pointing to a Cloudfront CDN endpoint.
To shed more light into the current situation, here is a little more info:
When I check GoDaddy, it shows Nameservers, referencing the Wix servers. For DNS, it says We can't display your DNS information because your Nameservers aren't managed by us.
When I check Wix.com, I see that Managed by Third Party, Connected by DNS and still provides the option to transfer to Wix.
Both Godaddy and Wix provide the option to add a subdomain.
I'd rather do that in AWS.
What is my best option here? Should I transfer the domain to AWS and manage it there? If so, how do I then route traffic from mycompany.com to the marketing site?
Is there a way to keep it as is, but still add a subdomain on the AWS side for example.mycompany.com?
I really regret not registering this domain via AWS in the first place, but lesson learned. Any help would be much appreciated.
I am assuming that your DNS is being hosted via wix.com.
If you want to migrate to Route 53 its not actually too hard. Start by setting up a public hosted zone within Route 53 with the domain name you setup.
Next you would want to perform a zone lookup for all your DNS records, you can use Googles DIG Tool with the ANY option or do this via cli by running dig example.com ANY.
Now that you have all the records you will need to create them within your public hosted zone, follow this tutorial if you need any assistance. Do not add the SOA or NS records.
Now that all records have been migrated get the values from the NS record in your public hosted zone and replace the nameservers within GoDaddy to point at these values.
Your DNS will migrate over whichever period the TTL of your previous NS record is set as. Once this has migrated and it working you can add your CNAME record as you originally wanted to add.

Switching from Godaddy to AWS, switching DNS provider

I'm working on transferring my website from godaddy, to AWS. I completed all the steps with the domain transfer, e.g. unlock domain, approve the transfer on both sides. And then I cancelled my Godaddy hosting. Now I have set up the AWS hosted zones, and I'm stuck on switching DNS services.
One of the steps is to enter the NS values on Route53 into the DNS provider on godaddy, but since I cancelled my hosting service I no longer have any way to access my DNS provider.
I'm wondering what to do in this situation. Is it possible to access the DNS provider directly? I waited for the TTL to expire before posting this because I thought that would fix my issues, but it did not.
If you transferred the domain registration to Route 53, you are following a set of instructions that doesn't match what you are trying to accomplish.
In Route 53...
Under "Hosted Zones," select your domain. Make a note of the 4 name servers assigned.
Then, under "Registered Domains," select your domain.
The name servers shown here need to match the 4 name servers that were assigned to your Hosted Zone.
Click Add/Edit Name Servers to modify them. They are probably still pointing to the Go Daddy (something like "nsxx.domaincontrol.com" if I remember correctly) name servers.
It sounds like what you were reading was instructions for moving your DNS hosting to Route 53, without doing a domain transfer, which is change of the registrar of record. Changing DNS hosting, only, would not have involved unlocking and approving as you described. Registrar and hosting are two completely separate services, but providers often bundle them together, leaving users often unaware of the distinction.

How to move a domain from Godaddy to AWS Route 53

Since Godaddy went down for some hours my client and I are very upset and want to change everything to AWS.
Everything is done so far, only the domains (blablabla.com) are missing, I'm having a hard time trying to migrate from godaddy to Route 53, Do I have to remove from one and create from scratch from AWS?
Does anyone have any experience on how to do this?
the solution:
Login on your aws console;
Click on Route 53;
Create Hosted Zone;
Select your new created host title and click "Go to Record Sets", take note of the nameservers;
Login on your Godaddy account;
Select your domain;
Go to Nameservers and click SetNameservers;
paste all the four you took from "Go to Record Sets" Route 53;
and that's it..., you don't have to rely on this horrible service Godaddy provides anymore
You can transfer the domain registration to AWS Route 53.
You have to "unlock" the account.
Log On to Go Daddy.
Go to Domain Details Then Settings:
Lock: Set to Off
Authorization Code: Email My Code
Route 53 will need the authorization code to complete the transfer request.
Here are the steps to migrate your internet domain name to AWS route 53 (DNS Manager).
** Be careful where your mail server is hosted, either in the Godaddy mail service, Gmail (gsuite) or in your Cpanel server (VPS/Server).
** To empower your Domain DNS capabilities, you need to transfer the name servers, DNS records and domain name to AWS route53, thats why it's recommended to move to AWS Route 53. You can keep Godaddy to be owner of your yourdomain.com and manage your DNS by Route 53
STEPS:
Go to Godaddy DNS records and understand each of them and note them (Take a screenshot)
Go to AWS route 53, Crete a Public hosted Zone (Create your domain on AWS route 53). Here is a good tutorial about it:
https://www.clickittech.com/aws/migrate-godaddy-to-aws-route53/
Copy your Godaddy DNs records into your Public hosted zone previously created. Remember, each record needs to exist in the new aws zone.
Change your Name Servers to AWS Route 53. What does it means? In order to allow AWS route 53 to manage your domain, DNs records, etc. you need to change your actual Godadaddy Name server (NS) Records to AWS Records.
Go to Godaddy admin Panel and Login
Go to DNS Management
Under Name Servers Click on Change - > Custom - > Change Name Servers
You need to change from NSx.domaincontrol.com to the AWS Name servers.
More info: https://www.clickittech.com/aws/migrate-godaddy-to-aws-route53/
After 4-8 hours your Name Servers will be reflected and propagated around your country, world and networks.
Practically you are done with this.
Additionally, if you need to migrate your website or web app to AWS go to this tutorial, great explanation, see below:
https://www.clickittech.com/aws-migration/transfer-domain-aws-migrate-move-website-aws/
The answer from The Poet above is good for moving everything, but it will also kill your email service with GoDaddy. If you want to keep the email servers running at GoDaddy, you will also need to get your MX email servers and their priority numbers. Mine looked like this...
0 smtp.secureserver.net
10 mailstore1.secureserver.net
Take these over to your Route53 settings, click Create Record Set, choose a type of MX Mail Exchange, and paste these values in (with the number in the front as shown above). Save the record set.
Also PJT was correct; all domain info in Route53 ends with an extra period for some reason specific to AWS, but don't worry about it--it doesn't affect production behavior. When you copy your four from Route53 to paste in GoDaddy's Name Servers, you will need to do them one at a time and trim off the extra period at the end.
If you want to migrate your DNS records to Route 53, you'll need to export them from GoDaddy and recreate them manually in Route 53.
To do this in one automated step, consider a DNS migration tool such as DNSTools.ninja, as outlined here: https://dnstools.ninja/migrate-bind-aws-route53-safely-3-commands/
Be careful with google mx records if you have them.
Why switch to route 53?
AWS Route 53 doesn’t limit you to 64 subdomain.
AWS allows you to host buckets with route 53
It all comes at a 50 cent/month.
AWS Nameservers
Now to answer your question, you need move the name servers to route 53. That means in godaddy name server section should be filled with aws name servers.
See the steps here.
https://metamug.com/article/dns-migrate-godaddy-to-route-53.php
The detailed steps to transfer the domain registrar from GoDaddy to Route 53 is given at https://cloudopian.com/blog/how-to-transfer-domain-registrar-from-godaddy-to-amazon-route-53/
Remember, you first need to transfer your name servers by creating a hosted zone in Route 53 and pointing your godaddy hosted domain to use Route 53's name servers instead of it's own name servers.