## Understanding Domains Management in Parallels Business Automation - Standard

Generally, a domain management can be splitted into the two groups:

- Domain operations at Registrar, for example, domain registration, renewal, transfer, registrant contacts management, etc.
- DNS zone management that provides the scope of a domain application.

Speaking about Parallels Business Automation - Standard, there is the third aspect of domains management:

- Configuring services that require a domain for hosting subscriptions like Plesk domains and Virtuozzo Containers.

We now describe how Parallels Business Automation - Standard follows this approach to domains management.

Domain operations at Registrar are performed in Parallels Business Automation - Standard using domain registration plug-ins that provide communication with a number of Internet Registrars. If it is not necessary to support domain operations at Registrar from Parallels Business Automation - Standard or there is no need in such operations, it is possible to add a domain into Parallels Business Automation - Standard as 'Registered Elsewhere'. In the latter case, a domain registrant just renews a domain and performs other operations at Registrar manually, on his/her own responsibility.

Any domain in Parallels Business Automation - Standard can use DNS hosting or not.

Domains Registered or Transferred Via Parallels Business Automation - Standard Plug-Ins

Billing Issues. Such domains can be purchased separately, in the frame of one of the Domain Registration hosting plans or together with one of hosting packages (any hosting plan type except for One-Time Fee Item). On such purchase, a special Order is placed and a special Domain Registration Subscription is created when this Order is completed. Creation of a special domain subscription allows synchronizing an actual domain expiration date at Registrar with Domain Registration subscription expiration date in Parallels Business Automation - Standard, which provides the automated renewal order generation. Such domains are billed according to retail prices set in a corresponding Domain Registration hosting plan.

DNS Issues. DNS hosting for such domains is a free service that can be enabled or disabled at any moment by provider or customer. Note that after DNS hosting is disabled the corresponding DNS zone is removed from Parallels Business Automation - Standard! As soon as DNS hosting is enabled, it becomes possible to manage zone manually from Parallels Business Automation - Standard web based interface.

Services Configuration. Such domains can be assigned to one of the existing subscriptions owned by a customer (domain registrant). This operation allows configuring a specific services on a subscription a domain has been assigned to. For example, to create a website on a particular domain for a particular Virtuozzo Container, it is necessary to assign this domain to a corresponding Container subscription. When such domain is purchased together with a hosting package, a domain is automatically assigned to a newly created hosting subscription, which allows to configure services right after a subscription is created.

Automated DNS Management. Each subscription a domain can be assigned to, may have a specific requirements to DNS zone configuration. As soon as a domain is assigned to a subscription, its DNS zone starts being managed automatically. Automated DNS zone management is normally set up by DNS template associated with a subscription.

Note: For Plesk domain subscriptions DNS template can be ignored depending on DNS management permissions set for a Plesk domain. For example, if the Manage DNS permission is on, Plesk becomes a primary source for DNS synchronization and DNS zone is imported from Plesk DNS.

Termination Issues. After a corresponding Domain Registration Subscription is terminated a termination request is sent to a Registrar and a domain is considered as Domains Registered Elsewhere. The latter is done to prevent misconfiguration of services on a hosting subscription a domain may be assigned to before Domain subscription termination.

Domains Registered Elsewhere

Billing Issues. Such domains can be purchased only together with a hosting package (any hosting plan type except for One-Time Fee Item) or added to an existing subscription. If DNS hosting service is enabled for a domain, then such domain is billed according to the prices and limits set in hosting plan a domain is assigned to (the 'Number of domains with DNS hosting provided (numdnshosting)' billable resource). If DNS hosting is disabled, a domain is considered as domain pointer and is not billed at all since in Parallels Business Automation - Standard domain pointers are always for free (as design). When DNS hosting is enabled for a domain pointer, a domain starts being billed according to price and limits set for the numdnshosting billable resource.

DNS Issues. DNS hosting for such domains is a billed service (see above). Note that after DNS hosting is disabled the corresponding DNS zone is removed from Parallels Business Automation - Standard! As soon as DNS hosting is enabled, it becomes possible to manage zone manually from Parallels Business Automation - Standard web based interface.

Services Configuration. Such domains shall be assigned to one of the existing subscriptions owned by a customer (domain registrant). This operation allows configuring a specific services on a subscription a domain has been assigned to. For example, to create a website on a particular domain for a particular Virtuozzo Container, it is necessary to assign this domain to a corresponding Container subscription.

Automated DNS Management. Each subscription a domain can be assigned to, may have a specific requirements to DNS zone configuration. As soon as a domain is assigned to a subscription, its DNS zone starts being managed automatically. Automated DNS zone management is normally set up by DNS template associated with a subscription.

Note: For Plesk domain subscriptions DNS template can be ignored depending on DNS management permissions set for a Plesk domain. For example, if the Manage DNS permission is on, Plesk becomes a primary source for DNS synchronization and DNS zone is imported from Plesk DNS.

Termination Issues. After a subscription a domain is assigned to is terminated such domain is removed from Parallels Business Automation - Standard DNS and Parallels Business Automation - Standard database.

Additional DNS Management Options

To facilitate configuration of services, DNS Template types have been introduced. Now you can create DNS templates that can be used in a particular hosting plan types.

In any case, a domain can be assigned to only one subscription. A domain can be moved from one subscription to another by a customer from the Control Panel or by Provider, from the Control Center under a domain properties. Please note that when a domain is moved between subscriptions, its DNS records automatically added before are fully rewritten in accordance with a new subscription DNS settings.

To help controlling the automated DNS zone management, a new tab has been introduced within a domain settings - DNS Records Suppliers. The subscriptions a domain is assigned to are listed under this tab. A domain can have three DNS record suppliers, as maximum: Domain Registration subscription, hosting subscription (all hosting types excluding One-Time Fee Item and Domain Registration), and a DNS template that can be assigned manually to add a particular record into a domain zone file.

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