How to Set Up DNS with BIND and Web Server on AWS

Introduction

This guide walks you through the process of setting up DNS on a server using BIND and configuring a web server with Apache on AWS. We'll also secure the web server with SSL using Let's Encrypt. Follow the steps to ensure proper DNS resolution and server accessibility.

Step 1: Setting Up DNS Server

1. Install BIND on your server:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install bind9 bind9utils bind9-doc

2. Configure DNS with Zone Files:

Create a directory to store your zone files:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/bind/zones

Create the zone file for your domain:

sudo vi /etc/bind/zones/db.soham.sbs

In the file, define the A records for your domain:

$TTL    604800
@       IN      SOA     ns1.soham.sbs. admin.soham.sbs. (
                          2         ; Serial
                     604800         ; Refresh
                      86400         ; Retry
                    2419200         ; Expire
                     604800 )       ; Negative Cache TTL

; Name servers
@       IN      NS      ns1.soham.sbs.

; A records
@       IN      A       3.7.174.57
ns1     IN      A       15.206.90.100
ns2     IN      A       15.206.90.100
www     IN      A       3.7.174.57

3. Configure BIND to load the zone file:

sudo vi /etc/bind/named.conf.local

Add this configuration:

zone "soham.sbs" {
    type master;
    file "/etc/bind/zones/db.soham.sbs";
};

4. Restart BIND service:

sudo systemctl restart bind9

Step 2: Set up Name Servers with Hostinger

1. Log into your Hostinger account:

Navigate to the domain management section where you have the domain registered.

2. Configure your name servers:

Add the following name servers:

ns1.soham.sbs
ns2.soham.sbs

Make sure the name servers point to the correct IPs of your BIND server (e.g., 15.206.90.100).

3. Verify the changes:

Use tools like dig to verify that your domain resolves correctly:

dig @15.206.90.100 soham.sbs

Step 3: Configuring Apache Web Server

1. Install Apache on your web server:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apache2

2. Create Virtual Host Configuration:

Create a virtual host file for your domain:

sudo vi /etc/apache2/sites-available/soham.sbs.conf

In the file, configure your web server settings:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin admin@soham.sbs
    DocumentRoot /var/www/soham.sbs
    ServerName soham.sbs
    ServerAlias www.soham.sbs
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

3. Enable the site and restart Apache:

sudo a2ensite soham.sbs.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 4: Installing Let's Encrypt SSL

1. Install Certbot and the Apache plugin:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache

2. Obtain SSL certificates for your domain:

sudo certbot --apache -d soham.sbs -d www.soham.sbs

3. Test SSL Certificate Renewal:

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Step 5: Final Verification

1. Verify DNS:

Ensure your domain resolves correctly to your web server's IP:

dig @15.206.90.100 soham.sbs

2. Verify SSL:

Check if SSL is installed by accessing your site via HTTPS in a browser.