Creating a linked zone

It is common to have multiple DNS zones configured where one zone is a "vanity domain" for a "real" zone. For example, if your main zone is example.web, you might also purchase example.io to serve the same content.

In this case, any records associated with example.web should also be available under example.io—in other words, www.example.web and www.example.io should point to the same place. Further, any changes made to the main example.web zone will want to be reflected in the linked zone (example.io).

Instead of creating two separate (or unlinked) zones, attempting to configure, and performing manual updates to keep them in sync, you can create linked zones in which the secondary "vanity" zone points to the "real" (or target) zone that contains the records. 

Creating a linked zone

If you have not done so already, create the real or target zone (the one that contains the records). Then, follow the steps below for creating a linked zone that points to the target you just created.

1. Log in to the NS1 portal (via https://my.nsone.net).
   
   
2. Click DNS in the main navigation to view a list of all the DNS zones associated with your account.
   
   
   
   
3. Click Add Zone.
   
   
   
   
4. Under Zone Settings, select Linked Zone. 
   
   
5. Enter the domain name of the new linked zone (i.e. "example.io"), and select the target zone from the drop-down list.
   
   
   
   
6. Click Save Zone. The new zone appears in the list and is labeled as a linked zone.
   
    

  Facts to consider:

• You cannot chain-link zones. Each linked zone must point to a non-linked zone.
  
  
• Currently, you cannot receive record-level query statistics on the linked zone (only aggregate statistics for the target zone).
  
  
• You cannot add records to or make any other changes to a linked zone. You must do so in the target zone.
  
  
• The only operation you can perform on a linked zone is to delete it. Deleting the linked zone does not alter the target zone in any way.