CentralCloud DNS Clustering Plugin for cPanel

This plugin allows cPanel servers to integrate with CentralCloud's PowerDNS service, enabling DNS zone synchronization between cPanel and PowerDNS.

Features

• Integrates cPanel DNS Clustering with PowerDNS API
• Manages DNS zones on remote PowerDNS servers
• Supports DNSSEC via HostBill API integration
• Filters operations to only manage domains hosted on the cPanel server
• Provides dry-run mode for safe testing before making real changes
• Comprehensive logging for debugging and tracking operations
• Health monitoring with email notifications
• Auto-repair capability for DNS zone discrepancies
• Status dashboard for monitoring the integration
• Development mode for restricting operations to test domains only

Accessing the Status Dashboard

The plugin includes a web-based status dashboard that provides detailed information about the integration:

1. Through WHM Plugin Section:

   • Log in to WHM
   • Navigate to the "Plugins" section
   • Click on "CentralCloud DNS Status"

2. Direct Access:

   • Access WHM
   • Go to: https://your-server:2087/cgi/addon_centralcloud.cgi

The dashboard shows:

• PowerDNS and HostBill API status
• Current configuration settings
• Zone statistics
• Recent zone information
• Auto-repair activity

This dashboard is automatically installed by the installation script and provides a convenient way to monitor the health and status of your DNS integration.

Requirements

• cPanel server (tested with cPanel & WHM 11.xx+)
• PowerDNS server with API access
• HostBill with DNS management module for DNSSEC support
• Perl 5.10+
• Required Perl modules (included with cPanel):
  • Cpanel::JSON::XS
  • HTTP::Tiny
  • Cpanel::Logger
  • List::MoreUtils

Installation

Automated Installation

1. Download the plugin package
2. Extract the package
3. Run the installation script:

chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh

Manual Installation

1. Copy the module files to the appropriate directories:

   • lib/Cpanel/NameServer/Remote/CentralCloud.pm → /usr/local/cpanel/Cpanel/NameServer/Remote/
   • lib/Cpanel/NameServer/Remote/CentralCloud/API.pm → /usr/local/cpanel/Cpanel/NameServer/Remote/CentralCloud/
   • lib/Cpanel/NameServer/Setup/Remote/CentralCloud.pm → /usr/local/cpanel/Cpanel/NameServer/Setup/Remote/

2. Set file permissions:

   • chmod 644 /usr/local/cpanel/Cpanel/NameServer/Remote/CentralCloud.pm
   • chmod 644 /usr/local/cpanel/Cpanel/NameServer/Remote/CentralCloud/API.pm
   • chmod 644 /usr/local/cpanel/Cpanel/NameServer/Setup/Remote/CentralCloud.pm

3. Create log file:

   • touch /var/log/centralcloud-plugin.log
   • chmod 644 /var/log/centralcloud-plugin.log
   • chown nobody:nobody /var/log/centralcloud-plugin.log

Configuration

1. Log in to WHM

2. Go to "Clusters" > "Configure Cluster"

3. Click "Add a new server to the cluster"

4. Select "CentralCloud" as the DNS server type

5. Enter the following details:

   • PowerDNS API URL (e.g., https://master.ns.centralcloud.net)
   • PowerDNS API Key
   • HostBill URL (e.g., https://portal.centralcloud.com)
   • HostBill API ID & API Key
   • Log Level (Select from: error, warn, info, debug)
   • Log File Path
   • DNS Record Settings (TTL, SOA refresh, retry, expire, etc.)

6. Select the server type:

   • standalone - Dry run mode (no changes made to PowerDNS/HostBill)
   • writeonly - Write mode (changes made to PowerDNS/HostBill)

Operation

The plugin operates in one of two modes:

Dry Run Mode (default)

When the server type is set to "standalone", the plugin operates in dry run mode:

• All operations are logged
• No actual changes are made to PowerDNS or HostBill
• Responses indicate what would have happened
• Useful for testing and verification

Write Mode

When the server type is set to "writeonly", the plugin makes actual changes:

• Real zone operations on PowerDNS
• Real DNSSEC operations via HostBill
• Full functionality in production

Logging

The plugin logs all operations to the configured log file (default: /var/log/centralcloud-plugin.log).

Log levels:

• error - Only serious errors
• warn - Warnings and errors
• info - General operational information
• debug - Detailed debugging information

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Permission denied errors:

   • Ensure the log file is writable
   • Check file permissions on module files

2. API connection errors:

   • Verify API URL is correct
   • Check API key is valid
   • Test network connectivity to API endpoints

3. No zones showing in cPanel:

   • Check if domains exist on both cPanel and PowerDNS
   • Verify filtering is working correctly
   • Look for errors in the log file

Debug Mode

For detailed troubleshooting:

1. Set log level to "debug" in the configuration
2. Check the log file for detailed messages
3. Look for [DEBUG] prefixed entries

License

This plugin is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE file for more information.

Support

For support with this plugin, please contact CentralCloud support.