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Reference for Command-Line Utilities, Plesk for Microsoft Windows
This is documentation for Plesk 12.5. Go to documentation for the latest version, Plesk Obsidian.

dns.exe: DNS Zones on Domains

The dns.exe utility is used to manage DNS zones on domains and domain aliases. Using this utility, you can perform the following tasks:

  • enabling/disabling a local DNS service on a domain or domain alias
  • adding/deleting resource records to/from a domain's or domain alias' DNS zone
  • setting Plesk name server as the master or slave server for a DNS zone
  • assigning external master DNS servers for a DNS zone
  • enabling or disabling the www-prefixed alias (in the www.<domain name> form) support for canonical domain names
  • updating the Start-of-Authority (SOA) record for a DNS zone

Location

%plesk_cli%

Usage
dns.exe <command> [<domain name>|<domain_alias>] [
<option_1> [<param>]
[<option_2> [<param>]]
... [<option_N> [<param>]]
]

Example

The following command removes all pre-existing resource records from the DNS zone on the domain example.com and adds the following two records to the DNS zone:

  • new MX resource record mail3.example.com specifying domain name mail.example.com as the mail exchanger and setting the mail exchanger's priority to 15
  • new NS resource record ns2.example.com setting domain ns.example.com as the name server

    dns.exe --set example.com -list "MX,mail3,mail.example.com,15;NS,ns2,ns.example.com"

Commands
Command Parameter Description Example

--add or -a

<domain name>| <domain alias>

Adds a resource record to a domain's DNS zone.

If a record already exists, the command returns code 2.

To add an MX resource record mail3.example.com to the DNS zone on the domain example.com and specify mail exchanger mail.example.com for the record:

dns.exe --add example.com -mx mail3 -mailexchanger mail.example.com

or

dns.exe -a example.com -mx mail3 -mailexchanger mail.example.com

--set or -s

<domain name>| <domain alias>

Adds specified resource records to and removes all pre-existing resource records from a domain's DNS zone.

Requires the -list option.

To add the following two resource records to the DNS zone of domain example.com, while removing all pre-existing resource records from the DNS zone:

  • new MX resource record mail3.example.com specifying domain name mail.example.com as the mail exchanger for the record, and setting the mail exchanger's priority to 15:
  • new NS resource record ns2.example.com setting domain ns.example.com as the name server:

    dns.exe --set example.com -list "MX,mail3,example.com,15;NS,ns2,ns.example.com"

or

dns.exe -s example.com -list "MX,mail3,example.com,15;NS,ns2,ns.example.com"

--del or -d

<domain name>|

<domain alias>

Deletes a resource record from a domain's DNS zone.

To delete an existing MX resource record mail3.example.com (for which mail exchanger mail.example.com is specified) from the DNS zone for the domain example.com:

dns.exe --del example.com -mx mail3 -mailexchanger mail.example.com

or

dns.exe -d example.com -mx mail3 -mailexchanger mail.example.com

--del-all or -da

<domain name>|

<domain alias>

Deletes all resource records from a domain's DNS zone.

To delete all existing resource records from the DNS zone for the domain example.com:

dns.exe --del-all example.com

or

dns.exe -da example.com

--reset or -res

<domain name>| <domain alias>

Restores the default resource records for a domain's zone based on the Plesk server DNS zone template.

Requires the -ip option.

To restore the default resource records for a domain's zone based on the Plesk server DNS zone template:

dns.exe --reset example.com -ip 192.0.2.9

or

dns.exe -res example.com -ip 192.0.2.9

--on

<domain name>| <domain alias>

Enables DNS service on a domain or domain alias.

To enable DNS service on the domain example.com:

dns.exe --on example.com

--off

<domain name>| <domain alias>

Disables DNS service on a domain or domain alias.

To disable DNS service on the domain example.com:

dns.exe --off example.com

--set-master

<domain name>| <domain alias>

Sets the Plesk name server as the master server for domain's or domain alias' DNS zone.

To set the Plesk name server as the master server for DNS zone on the domain example.com:

dns.exe --set-master example.com

--set-slave

<domain name>| <domain alias>

Sets the Plesk name server as the slave server for domain's or domain alias' DNS zone.

To set the Plesk name server as the slave server for DNS zone on the domain example.com:

dns.exe --set-slave example.com

--update-soa

<domain name>| <domain alias>

Updates the SOA record settings for domain's or domain alias' DNS zone.

To set the TTL value for the SOA record of the DNS zone on the domain example.com to 5 hours:

dns.exe --update-soa example.com -soa-ttl 5H

--info

<domain name>| <domain alias>

Displays the list of resource records for a domain's or domain alias' DNS zone.

To view the list of resource records in the DNS zone for the domain example.com:

dns.exe --info example.com

--help or -h

 

Displays help on the use of the utility.

To view help on the use of the dns utility:

dns.exe --help

or

dns.exe -h

Options
Option Parameter Description Example

-a

''|<subdomain name>

Specifies the A type resource record for a subdomain in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --add and --del commands only.

Requires the -ip option.

To add an A resource record sample.example.com specifying IP address 192.0.2.78 for the subdomain to the DNS zone on the domain example.com:

dns.exe -a example.com -a sample -ip 192.0.2.78

 

To add an AAAA resource record sample.example.com specifying IP address 2001:db8:85a3:0:0:8a2e:370:7334 for the subdomain to the DNS zone on the domain example.com:

dns.exe -a example.com -a sample -ip 2001:db8:85a3:0:0:8a2e:370:7334

-aaaa

''|<subdomain name>

Specifies the AAAA type resource record for a subdomain in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --add and --del commands only.

Requires the -ip option.

-ip

<IP address>

Specifies an IP address for creating an A type resource record in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --add and --del commands only.

-ns

''|<subdomain name>

Specifies the NS type resource record in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --add and --del commands only.

Requires the -nameserver option.

To add an NS resource record ns2.example.com specifying domain name example.net as the name server to the DNS zone on domain name example.com:

dns.exe -a example.com -ns ns2 -nameserver example.net

-nameserver

<domain name>

Specifies the name of a nameserver for creating an NS type resource record in a domain's DNS zone.

-mx

''|<subdomain name>

Specifies the MX type resource record in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --add and --del commands only.

Requires the -mailexchanger option.

To add a MX resource record mail3.example.com specifying domain name mail.example.com as the mail exchanger for the record, and setting the mail exchanger's priority to the DNS zone on the domain example.com to 15:

dns.exe -a example.com -mx mail3 -mailexchanger mail.example.com -priority 15

-mailexchanger

<domain name>

Specifies the name of a mail exchanger for creating an MX type DNS record in a domain's DNS zone.

 

-priority

<number>

Specifies the mail exchanger priority for creating an MX type DNS record in a domain's DNS zone.

 

-cname

''|<subdomain name>

Specifies the CNAME type resource record in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --add and --del commands only.

Requires the -canonical option.

To add a CNAME type resource record sample.example.com for a canonical name example.org to the DNS zone on domain example.com:

dns.exe --add example.com -cname sample -canonical example.org

-canonical

<domain name>

Specifies a canonical name for creating a CNAME type DNS record in a domain's DNS zone.

 

-ptr

''|<subdomain name>

Specifies the PTR type resource record in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --add and --del commands only.

Requires the -subnet option.

To add a PTR type DNS record 192.0.2.1/16 for the subdomain sample to the DNS zone for the domain example.com:

dns.exe -a example.com -ptr sample -subnet 192.0.2.1/16

-subnet

<IP address>|<subnet_mask>

Specifies an IP address and a subnet mask for creating a PTR type DNS record in a domain's DNS zone.

-srv

''|<subdomain_name>

Specifies the SRV type resource record in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --add and --del commands only.

Requires the use of options -srv-service, -srv-target-host, -srv-port.

To add an SRV record to make domain example.com handle SIP protocol connections, that will point to a server named sipserver.sample.com listening on TCP port 5060. The priority given here is 0, and the weight is 5:

dns.exe --add example.com -srv '' -srv-service sip -srv-target-host sipserver.sample.com. -srv-protocol TCP -srv-port 5060 -srv-priority 0 -srv-weight 5

-srv-priority

[0-50]

Specifies priority of the SRV record (0 - the highest, 50 - the lowest).

-srv-weight

[0-50]

Specifies relative weight of the SRV record among records with the same priority (0 - the lowest, 50 - the highest).

-srv-port

[0-65535]

Specifies the port on which the service is to be found (for SRV record).

-srv-target-host

<host>

Specifies canonical hostname of the machine providing the service (for SRV record).

-srv-protocol

TCP|UDP

Specifies the service protocol for SRV record.

-srv-service

<service>

Specifies symbolic name of the service for SRV record.

-txt

<text>

Specifies the TXT type resource record in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --add and --del commands only.

Requires the -domain option if the record is created for a subdomain of a domain.

To specify the TXT type DNS record "This record is used to implement the Senders Policy Framework and DomainKeys specifications" for the subdomain name sample in the DNS zone for the domain example.com:

dns.exe -a example.com -txt "This record is used to implement the Senders Policy Framework and DomainKeys specifications" -domain sample

-axfr

<ip>|<ip>/<mask>

Specifies IP address for creating AXFR record.

-domain

''|<subdomain_name>

Specifies a subdomain name for creating a TXT type resource record in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --add and --del commands only.

-www

true|false

Enables/Disables support of the www-prefixed alias for a canonical domain name in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --reset command only.

Creates/Deletes a CNAME type resource record in the www.<domain name> form.

To enable support of the www-prefixed alias www.example.com (pointing to domain example.com) in the DNS zone on the domain example.com:

dns.exe -res example.com -www true -ip 192.0.2.94

-primary

<IP address>

Adds an IP address of a primary DNS server for a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --add --del and --reset commands only.

To add the IP address 192.0.2.78 of the primary DNS server for DNS zone on the domain example.com:

dns.exe -a example.com -primary 192.0.2.78

-soa-ttl

<number>[S|M|H|D|W]

Sets the TTL value for the SOA record of a domain' or domain alias' DNS zone.

Used with the--update-soa command only.

To set the TTL value to 5 hours, the Refresh value to 4 hours, the Retry value to 10 seconds, the Expire value to 2 weeks, and the Minimum value to 2 days for the SOA record in the DNS zone on the domain example.com:

dns.exe --update-soa example.com -soa-ttl 5H -soa-refresh 4H -soa-retry 10S -soa-expire 2W -soa-minimum 2D

-soa-refresh

<number>[S|M|H|D|W]

Sets the Refresh value for the SOA record of a domain' or domain alias' DNS zone.

Used with the --update-soa command only.

-soa-retry

<number>[S|M|H|D|W]

Sets the Retry value for the SOA record of a domain' or domain alias' DNS zone.

Used with the --update-soa command only.

-soa-expire

<number>[S|M|H|D|W]

Sets the Expire value for the SOA record of a domain' or domain alias' DNS zone.

Used with the --update-soa command only.

-soa-minimum

<number>[S|M|H|D|W]

Sets the Minimum value for the SOA record of a domain' or domain alias' DNS zone.

Used with the --update-soa command only.

-soa-serial-format

timestamp|yyyymmddnn

Specifies format of SOA record serial number: UNIX timestamp or recommended by IETF and RIPE.

Used with the --update-soa command only.

To change the SOA record serial format to recommended by IETF and RIPE for domain example.com:

dns.exe --update-soa example.com -soa-serial-format yyyymmddnn

-list

"<record_1>;<record_2>;...<record_N>"

where the <record> parameter is composed according to the following rules:

  • for MX record:
    MX,<subdomain name>,<mail_exchanger_name>,<priority>
  • for NS record:
    NS,<subdomain name>,<name_server_name>
  • for A record:
    A,<subdomain name>,<IP address>
  • for PTR record:
    PTR,<IP_address/subnet_mask>,<subdomain name>
  • for CNAME record:
    CNAME,<subdomain name>,<canonical_domain_name>
  • for TXT record:
    TXT,<subdomain name>,<text>

Consult descriptions of the options in this table for adding resource records of respective types individually.

Specifies resource records to be included in a domain's DNS zone.

Used with the --set command only.

To add the following two resource records to the DNS zone of the domain example.com, while removing all pre-existing resource records from the DNS zone:

  • new MX resource record mail3.example.com specifying domain name mail.example.com as the mail exchanger for the record, and setting the mail exchanger's priority to 15:
  • new NS resource record ns2.example.com setting domain ns.example.com as the name server:

    dns.exe -s example.com -list "MX,mail3,mail.example.com,15;NS,ns2,ns.example.com"
 
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