I have been trying to figure out how to get a single DNN instance and have a second domain sharing the same instance AND allow the second domain to have a subdomain that is not related to DNN, but a normal site.
Here is the detail of what I have done. I am looking for some feedback and thoughts on this. Deepak assisted me in getting this far. Feedback and thoughts welcome.
Needs:
1) Single DNN install that has multiple portals (Initial domain = domain1.com)
2) Need the second domain (domain2.com) to be a portal in the first DNN install.
3) But also need a subdomain of the second domain (sub.domain2.com) to work as a NON DNN site.
4) Need second domain to be able to receive email (not aliased email, but it's own email service)
Solution 1 (Cleanest):
1) I created a normal domain (domain1.com) and gave it a dedicated IP. Yep, burned an IP. But I only needed this for the initial DNN install location.
2) For normal DNN portals I would create domain2.com as an alias domain in HSPHERE and then add the alias to DNN, but because of the requirements I couldn't really do this (not easily).
So I basically created domain2.com as a normal domain, but then using Custom DNS settings I removed the A record that pointed domain2.com to the shared IP originally set for it and added a custom A record pointing it to the static IP on domain1.com. I also did this for the www part as well. The *.domain2.com continued to point to share. So here is what the dns looked like:
*.domain2.com = shared IP
domain2.com = Static IP of domain1.com
www.domain2.com = Static IP of domain1.com
I then setup the portal alias in DNN. This basically makes things work so domain2.com and www.domain2.com use the initial DNN install. A little more complicated than simply creating domain2.com as an alias domain in HSPHERE, but necessary for the next step to work.
3) To get a subdomain to work as a NON DNN site (sub.domain2.com) I then created a subdomain in HSPHERE and let it use default DNS entries which are:
register.domain2.com = Shared IP
*.register.domain2.com Shared IP
This basically allowed the subdomain to use it's own web service outside of DNN.
Deepak had told me when I created the domain2.com to go ahead and disable the web service which I originally did... but when I created the subdomain sub.domain2.com it had the web service disabled. When I enabled it... it caused the main domain2.com to be enabled again. I am not exactly sure why Deepak had me disable the web service on domain2.com since it re-enabled itself when I had to turn it on for sub.domain2.com. I think it may have something to do with the DNS entries, but since I manually changed them it seems fine.
The key to all of this working was having a static IP for the main DNN install and then being able to make custom DNS entries.
Here is a second alternative given to me by Deepak, but I couldn't get it to work so I don't know if it is a viable solution. I could have done something wrong:
1) I created a normal domain (domain1.com) and left it using a shared IP.
2) I created a second domain (domain2.com) as an alias of domain1.com in HSPHERE and setup domain2.com as an alias in DNN. This works since it is the default way of doing child/parent portals in DNN through HSPHERE. The DNS has everything pointing to the same shared IP.
3) Now to get the subdomain to work. I was told to create a FAKE domain (ClientFAKE01.com) that will basically create a web site that isn't related to DNN. Then I was told to create a subdomain under this site (sub.ClientFAKE01.com). Then I was told to create an alias of that fake subdomain called (sub.domain2.com).
I was told this would work and if I wanted other subdomains for other clients I would have to create more fake domains in the manner listed above. I couldn't get it to work, but DNS had also got whacked on me so that could have been the problem.
The static IP was much cleaner and seems to be working.
I pass this on, just in case someone else runs into this scenario.
Of course I invite other thoughts and considerations on how to make what I need to work in other manners. Perhaps without the static IP.
Thanks again for your time.
Greg
Here is the detail of what I have done. I am looking for some feedback and thoughts on this. Deepak assisted me in getting this far. Feedback and thoughts welcome.
Needs:
1) Single DNN install that has multiple portals (Initial domain = domain1.com)
2) Need the second domain (domain2.com) to be a portal in the first DNN install.
3) But also need a subdomain of the second domain (sub.domain2.com) to work as a NON DNN site.
4) Need second domain to be able to receive email (not aliased email, but it's own email service)
Solution 1 (Cleanest):
1) I created a normal domain (domain1.com) and gave it a dedicated IP. Yep, burned an IP. But I only needed this for the initial DNN install location.
2) For normal DNN portals I would create domain2.com as an alias domain in HSPHERE and then add the alias to DNN, but because of the requirements I couldn't really do this (not easily).
So I basically created domain2.com as a normal domain, but then using Custom DNS settings I removed the A record that pointed domain2.com to the shared IP originally set for it and added a custom A record pointing it to the static IP on domain1.com. I also did this for the www part as well. The *.domain2.com continued to point to share. So here is what the dns looked like:
*.domain2.com = shared IP
domain2.com = Static IP of domain1.com
www.domain2.com = Static IP of domain1.com
I then setup the portal alias in DNN. This basically makes things work so domain2.com and www.domain2.com use the initial DNN install. A little more complicated than simply creating domain2.com as an alias domain in HSPHERE, but necessary for the next step to work.
3) To get a subdomain to work as a NON DNN site (sub.domain2.com) I then created a subdomain in HSPHERE and let it use default DNS entries which are:
register.domain2.com = Shared IP
*.register.domain2.com Shared IP
This basically allowed the subdomain to use it's own web service outside of DNN.
Deepak had told me when I created the domain2.com to go ahead and disable the web service which I originally did... but when I created the subdomain sub.domain2.com it had the web service disabled. When I enabled it... it caused the main domain2.com to be enabled again. I am not exactly sure why Deepak had me disable the web service on domain2.com since it re-enabled itself when I had to turn it on for sub.domain2.com. I think it may have something to do with the DNS entries, but since I manually changed them it seems fine.
The key to all of this working was having a static IP for the main DNN install and then being able to make custom DNS entries.
Here is a second alternative given to me by Deepak, but I couldn't get it to work so I don't know if it is a viable solution. I could have done something wrong:
1) I created a normal domain (domain1.com) and left it using a shared IP.
2) I created a second domain (domain2.com) as an alias of domain1.com in HSPHERE and setup domain2.com as an alias in DNN. This works since it is the default way of doing child/parent portals in DNN through HSPHERE. The DNS has everything pointing to the same shared IP.
3) Now to get the subdomain to work. I was told to create a FAKE domain (ClientFAKE01.com) that will basically create a web site that isn't related to DNN. Then I was told to create a subdomain under this site (sub.ClientFAKE01.com). Then I was told to create an alias of that fake subdomain called (sub.domain2.com).
I was told this would work and if I wanted other subdomains for other clients I would have to create more fake domains in the manner listed above. I couldn't get it to work, but DNS had also got whacked on me so that could have been the problem.
The static IP was much cleaner and seems to be working.
I pass this on, just in case someone else runs into this scenario.
Of course I invite other thoughts and considerations on how to make what I need to work in other manners. Perhaps without the static IP.
Thanks again for your time.
Greg
