Self-Hosting : Set Up a Custom DNS Server (BIND9) and Web Server (Apache2) on Your VPC VM

This detailed guide walks you through transforming a cloud Virtual Machine (VM) into a full-fledged local web-hosting and DNS environment. Using a simple custom domain name like myweb.local, we’ll set up the Apache2 web server and configure BIND9 as a DNS server on an Ubuntu VM with a private IP of 10.10.1.20.

This process covers the necessary steps within the VM and the critical network configurations (ACLs and Port Forwarding) required by your VPC infrastructure.

Prerequisites: Your Cloud Environment Details

Before starting, ensure you have the following information about your VM, as these values will be used throughout the configuration:

Step 1: VM Preparation and Web Server Installation (Apache2)

Start by connecting to your VM via SSH and preparing the system.

A. System Update and Upgrade

Ensure all your software packages are current.

B. Install and Configure Apache2

Install the web server and open its default ports in the VM’s local firewall (UFW).

Test the Web Server: After these steps, you should be able to access the default Apache “It works!” page using your VM’s public IP address (103.90.87.59) in a web browser.

Step 2: DNS Server Installation and Configuration (BIND9)

The BIND9 package will act as our authoritative DNS server for myweb.local.

A. Install BIND9

B. Define Custom Zones in BIND

We need to tell BIND to manage the forward lookup (myweb.local -> IP) and the reverse lookup (IP -> myweb.local).

1. Open the configuration file: sudo nano /etc/bind/named.conf.local

2. Add the following zone definitions:

   // Forward Zone Definition
   zone "myweb.local" {
       type master;
       file "/etc/bind/db.myweb.local";
   };
   
   // Reverse Zone Definition (Reverse of 10.10.1.x is '1.10.10')
   zone "1.10.10.in-addr.arpa" {
       type master;
       file "/etc/bind/db.10.10.1";
   };

C. Create the Forward Zone File (db.myweb.local)

This file maps the domain name to your VM’s private IP (10.10.1.20).

1. Copy the template: sudo cp /etc/bind/db.local /etc/bind/db.myweb.local

2. Edit the file: sudo nano /etc/bind/db.myweb.local

3. Insert the following content (adjusting the serial number if you make changes):

   $TTL 604800
   @    IN    SOA    myweb.local.    admin.myweb.local. (
                2025101301  ; Serial
                604800      ; Refresh
                86400       ; Retry
                2419200     ; Expire
                604800 )    ; Negative Cache TTL
   ;
   @    IN    NS    ns1.myweb.local.
   ns1  IN    A     10.10.1.20   ; Nameserver A record
   @    IN    A     10.10.1.20   ; Domain A record (myweb.local)
   www  IN    A     10.10.1.20   ; Subdomain A record (www.myweb.local)

D. Create the Reverse Zone File (db.10.10.1)

This file maps the private IP back to the domain name.

1. Copy the template: sudo cp /etc/bind/db.127 /etc/bind/db.10.10.1

2. Edit the file: sudo nano /etc/bind/db.10.10.1

3. Insert the following content:

   $TTL 604800
   @    IN    SOA    myweb.local.    admin.myweb.local. (
                2025101301  ; Serial
                604800      ; Refresh
                86400       ; Retry
                2419200     ; Expire
                604800 )    ; Negative Cache TTL
   ;
   @    IN    NS    ns1.myweb.local.
   20   IN    PTR   ns1.myweb.local.    ; PTR for nameserver IP
   20   IN    PTR   myweb.local.        ; PTR for the domain

E. Validation and Restart

Verify the syntax and restart BIND.

Step 3: Configure VPC Network Access Control List (APP-ALC)

Your VPC’s Network ACL is a layer of network security that controls traffic to the entire subnet. You must explicitly allow the web and DNS ports here.

ACL Ingress Rules to Add to APP-ALC

Step 4: Configure Port Forwarding on Public IP

Port forwarding maps traffic from your public IP (103.90.87.59) to your VM’s private IP (10.10.1.20). This is crucial for external access.

Target the Janak-ec1 (10.10.1.20) instance for all these rules.

Test DNS Resolution on the server VM

Use nslookup on your VM to confirm BIND is working locally:

Client Configuration: Pointing Your System to the New DNS Server

Before configuring the client, ensure the client machine can reach your server’s private IP (10.10.1.20).

To fully utilize your custom domain (myweb.local), any client machine must be configured to use your new DNS server (10.10.1.20 or 103.90.87.59).

Temporary DNS Configuration (Quick Testing)

There are two easy ways to test your new DNS server without making system-wide changes.

A. Direct Query using nslookup

This is the fastest method to verify that your DNS server is responding correctly to your custom domain.

• Expected Resolution: The query should resolve myweb.local to the VM’s private IP: 10.10.1.20.

B. Manual Override using /etc/resolv.conf (Linux/macOS)

Manually editing /etc/resolv.conf temporarily overrides your system’s DNS settings until a network service restarts or the system reboots. This is generally discouraged for permanent use on modern Ubuntu systems.

1. Backup the current file:

   sudo cp /etc/resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf.bak

2. Edit the file using nano:

   sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf

3. Replace or add the primary nameserver line with your custom DNS server IP:

   # Custom DNS Server Configuration
   nameserver 10.10.1.20   # Your new DNS server IP
   nameserver 8.8.8.8     # A backup public DNS server (Optional)

4. Save and close (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).

Verification: Test the system’s new default resolution:

nslookup myweb.local

Permanent DNS Configuration (Ubuntu using Netplan)

For permanent DNS changes on Ubuntu 17.10 and later, you must configure Netplan, as it manages the system’s network settings. This method is suitable for a client VM inside your VPC.

1. Locate your Netplan configuration file:

   ls /etc/netplan/

   (The file often has a name like 01-netcfg.yaml or 50-cloud-init.yaml.)

2. Edit the file (substitute your filename):

   sudo nano /etc/netplan/50-cloud-init.yaml

3. Modify the configuration under your network interface (e.g., eth0) by setting the nameservers section. Crucially, maintain the correct YAML indentation.

   network:
     version: 2
     renderer: networkd
     ethernets:
       eth0:
         dhcp4: no
         # ... other network settings (addresses, routes)
         nameservers:
           # Set your custom DNS server first, followed by a public fallback
           addresses: [10.10.1.20, 8.8.8.8]

4. Apply the changes to make them active and persistent:

   sudo netplan apply

Verification:

1. Check the system resolver status: systemd-resolve --status (Ensure your new IP is listed).
2. Test resolution: nslookup myweb.local

Final Verification and Web Access

After configuring the client (either temporarily or permanently), verify end-to-end functionality.

A. Test DNS Resolution

Use your client’s command-line interface to ensure the new DNS server is being used. Remember to flush the local DNS cache before testing if you had prior unsuccessful attempts.

B. Test Web Access

Finally, open your web browser and navigate directly to your custom domain name:

http://myweb.local

• Expected Success: The browser should load the Apache2 “It works!” page, confirming that the client successfully used your custom DNS server to find the web server and establish a connection.

• Reference : How to Setup Bind (DNS Server) on Ubuntu 24.04 | 22.04

How To Configure BIND as a Private Network DNS Server on Ubuntu 14.04