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How to Use Amazon Route 53 as an Integrated DNS Provider

Table of Contents

This tutorial connects Amazon Route 53 to DNSimple as an Integrated DNS Provider. You will create an AWS user for DNSimple, connect it, import a Route 53 hosted zone, copy its records into DNSimple, and then send a change from DNSimple back to Route 53. Afterwards, you can manage the zone at both providers from the DNSimple Record Editor.

Before starting

You need:

  • An AWS account where you can create IAM policies, IAM users, and Route 53 hosted zones. Everything in AWS is done in the AWS Management Console.
  • Full Access to your DNSimple account

Create an AWS user for DNSimple

DNSimple connects to Route 53 with an access key for an IAM user. Give that user only the Route 53 permissions DNSimple uses.

To create the user and access key

  1. In the IAM console, create a policy with this JSON definition:

     {
   "Version": "2012-10-17",
   "Statement": [
     {
       "Effect": "Allow",
       "Action": [
         "route53:ChangeResourceRecordSets",
         "route53:CreateHostedZone",
         "route53:DeleteHostedZone",
         "route53:ListHostedZones",
         "route53:ListHostedZonesByName",
         "route53:ListResourceRecordSets"
       ],
       "Resource": "*"
     }
   ]
 }
  2. Create an IAM user for DNSimple, and attach the policy directly to it.
  3. On the user’s tab, click .
  4. Select as the use case, and add a description such as “DNSimple Route 53 integration”.
  5. Copy the access key ID and the secret access key. AWS shows the secret only once.

Create a hosted zone with a few records

Skip this section if you already have a public hosted zone you want to use.

To create a test zone
  1. In the Route 53 console, create a public hosted zone for your domain.
  2. Add a few records to it, for example:
    • www A record pointing to 192.0.2.1
    • static CNAME record pointing to mybucket.s3.amazonaws.com
    • MX record pointing to mail.example.com

Connect Route 53 to DNSimple

These steps follow Manage Integrated DNS Providers, with the AWS details filled in.

To connect Route 53
  1. If you have more than one account, select the relevant one from the account switcher at the top-right corner of the screen.
  2. From the account switcher, click , then click the tab.
  3. Under , click next to Route53.
  4. In the dialog, enter a for this AWS account, such as AWS production, and the and you copied.
  5. Click .
  6. DNSimple lists the hosted zones in the AWS account. Select the zone you created, and click .

DNSimple takes you to the list, where the zone import starts. Refresh and Import Integrated Zones explains what the import does. Route 53 is now listed under on the Integrated Providers page.

Copy the records from Route 53 into DNSimple

A sync makes the destination zone match the source zone. Here, Route 53 is the source and DNSimple is the destination.

Warning

A sync deletes records at the destination that are not at the source. Use a zone without records you need at DNSimple, or check both sides before you confirm.

To sync from Route 53 to DNSimple
  1. From the list, click the domain, then open the .
  2. The records at Route 53 and DNSimple now differ, so the Record Editor shows a warning. Click in it.
  3. In the dialog, choose your Route 53 connection as the . It is listed as Route53 - followed by the nickname you entered.
  4. Choose as the .
  5. Type delete and synchronize to confirm, then click .

The records you created at Route 53 now appear in the Record Editor, labeled with both DNSimple and your Route 53 connection.

Send a change from DNSimple to Route 53

To sync from DNSimple to Route 53
  1. In the Record Editor, add a record or edit an existing one at DNSimple only.
  2. In the warning, click .
  3. Choose as the and your Route 53 connection as the .
  4. Type delete and synchronize to confirm, then click .
  5. In the Route 53 console, open the hosted zone and check that the change is there.

You can also apply a single change to both providers without a sync: when you add or edit a record, select both DNSimple and Route 53.

Bring in changes made at Route 53

Make changes in DNSimple when you can, so DNSimple stays your source of truth. If someone changes the zone in the Route 53 console, update DNSimple’s view of it first.

To pick up changes made in Route 53
  1. In the Record Editor, click , then select , as in Import Integrated Zone Records. DNSimple shows “Your zone records have been refreshed.”
  2. Review the Route 53 records in the Record Editor.
  3. To copy them into the DNSimple zone, sync from Route 53 to DNSimple.

Next steps

Have more questions?

If you have additional questions or need any assistance with your Integrated DNS Providers, contact support, and we will be happy to help. You can also read more about DNSimple integrations.