CLOUDNS (DS Provider) will try to update NS record to the original one without honor vanity NS

[Zenuncl]

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Describe the bug
The DSP CLOUDNS provider will try to CREATE NS record to the default cloudns.net / cloudns.com NS, even in setting it used other white label vanity NS

******************** Domain: mydomain.com
4 corrections (cloudns)
#1: + CREATE NS mydomain.com pns1.cloudns.net. ttl=300
#2: + CREATE NS mydomain.com pns2.cloudns.com. ttl=300
#3: + CREATE NS mydomain.com  pns3.cloudns.net. ttl=300
#4: + CREATE NS mydomain.com pns4.cloudns.uk. ttl=300

• When I created a new zone, I select a pre-set vanity NS record, for example ns1.mydomain.com
• Default zone file only include selected NS records, like ns1.mydomain.com, ns2.mydomain.com

Then there will be TWO scenario:

1. If the dnscontrol config has NS records set to match whatever you have on CloudNS
   It will try to create 4 New records as output showed above

2. Write a simple DNS config file as following
   It will also try to create 4 New records as output showed above

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Create a new Zone on CloudNS website, and select vanity NS (not default one)
2. Write a DNS config file as following

var REG_NONE = NewRegistrar("none");
var DSP_CL = NewDnsProvider("cloudns");

D("mydomain.net", REG_NONE,
  DnsProvider(DSP_CL),
  DefaultTTL(3600),

  NAMESERVER("ns1.mydns.com")
  NAMESERVER("ns2.mydns.net")

  A(".....")
  (rest of other records, A, TXT etc)
};

4. Try to run dnscontrol preview
5. See error (Likely it will always create new NS record unless your NS records is using their default one)

Expected behavior

• Won't update if it's same
• Won't update if I don't have NAMESERVER record set (so keep the same)

DNS Provider

• CLOUDNS

Additional context

dnscontrol version: v4.30.0
go version: 1.25.1
OS version: Debian 12

From reading the code, I beleive here and the api code are where it try to fetch "available nameserver" and then appened to the config file without consider user's input.

[tlimoncelli]

CC @pragmaton

[tlimoncelli]

This isn't a fix, but a work-around (it also might not work... I don't have access to a working CLOUDNS account).

Try changing DnsProvider(DSP_CL) to DnsProvider(DSP_CL, 0). The "0" means "ignore the nameservers configured at the registrar".

[tlimoncelli]

CC @RobinDaugherty in case they have suggestions

[Zenuncl]

This isn't a fix, but a work-around (it also might not work... I don't have access to a working CLOUDNS account).

Try changing DnsProvider(DSP_CL) to DnsProvider(DSP_CL, 0). The "0" means "ignore the nameservers configured at the registrar".

Interesting, this work around actually working, but it's nothing to do with ns configured at the registrar.
I have both registrar NS and CloudNS NS record using ns1.mydns.com / ns2.mydns.net.

No where was set up to use pns1.cloudns.net, but I guess CloudNS just grab it from API based on account's profile.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion, adding "0" works.

[RobinDaugherty]

The "0" means "ignore the nameservers configured at the registrar".

it's nothing to do with ns configured at the registrar

You're correct @Zenuncl...0 passed to the DNS provider more correctly means "use 0 of the name servers that the DNS provider recommends".

With ClouDNS, dnscontrol uses the available-name-servers api to get the list of recommended name servers, which always contains their standard name servers. (I think it includes the premium name servers only if your plan includes them, but I'm just guessing about that.)

It doesn't look like there's a way in the ClouDNS dashboard or API to tell them that you want to apply specific vanity name servers in your account, so I don't think that API will ever return your vanity name servers.

Therefore, the configuration Tim recommended seems like the correct way to do this.

If you want to reuse the custom name servers and apply them to other domains, you can also do something like this:

var REG_NONE = NewRegistrar("none");
var DSP_CL = NewDnsProvider("cloudns");

var CloudnsWithCustomNameServers = [
  DnsProvider(DSP_CL, 0),
  NAMESERVER("ns1.mydns.com"),
  NAMESERVER("ns2.mydns.net"),
  NAMESERVER_TTL("1d"), // if you want to set the TTL for the NS records separately
];

D("mydomain.net", REG_NONE,
  CloudnsWithCustomNameServers,
  DefaultTTL(3600),

  // (rest of other records, A, TXT etc)
};

D("myotherdomain.net", REG_NONE,
  CloudnsWithCustomNameServers,
  DefaultTTL(3600),

  // (rest of other records, A, TXT etc)
};

[Zenuncl]

Thanks @RobinDaugherty

From my couple tests today, looks like unless they can change the provider module to "ignore if match" or "ignore provider suggested ns by default", otherwise, yes, the configuration Tim recommended will be the best solution.

Thank you all for all helpful recommendations.