Built-in DNS Resolver¶

Overview¶

HPE Morpheus Software includes a built-in DNS resolver that provides internal DNS management capabilities without requiring an external DNS server. The built-in resolver supports full DNS record type management and can serve as the primary DNS for HPE Morpheus Software-managed infrastructure or as a complementary service alongside external DNS.

The built-in resolver is configured as an internal DNS integration type and supports the complete set of standard DNS record types.

Supported Record Types¶

The HPE Morpheus Software built-in DNS resolver supports the following record types:

Record Type	Description
A	Maps a hostname to an IPv4 address
AAAA	Maps a hostname to an IPv6 address
CNAME	Creates an alias pointing to another hostname
MX	Specifies mail exchange servers with priority values
NS	Delegates a DNS zone to authoritative name servers
PTR	Maps an IP address to a hostname (reverse DNS)
TXT	Stores arbitrary text data (SPF, DKIM, verification)
SRV	Specifies service location (host, port, priority, weight)
SOA	Start of Authority — defines zone parameters (serial, refresh, retry, expire, TTL)
DNAME	Delegation name — redirects an entire subtree of the domain name tree
TSIG	Transaction Signature — authenticates DNS updates and zone transfers

Configuring the Built-in Resolver¶

To enable and configure the built-in DNS resolver:

Navigate to Infrastructure > Network > Services
Click + ADD
Select Morpheus DNS as the provider type
Configure:
- NAME: Name for the internal DNS service
- DOMAIN: Default domain suffix for managed records
Click SAVE

Managing DNS Zones¶

Creating a Zone¶

Navigate to Infrastructure > Network > Domains
Click + ADD
Configure the zone:
- NAME: Zone name (e.g., internal.example.com)
- TYPE: Forward or Reverse lookup zone
- DNS SERVICE: Select the built-in resolver integration
- SOA RECORD: Automatically created with defaults:
  - Primary NS: HPE Morpheus Software appliance hostname
  - Admin Email: admin@<zone-name>
  - Serial: Auto-incremented
  - Refresh: 3600 seconds
  - Retry: 600 seconds
  - Expire: 604800 seconds
  - Minimum TTL: 300 seconds
Click SAVE

Managing Records¶

Adding Records¶

Navigate to Infrastructure > Network > Domains
Select the target domain
Click + ADD RECORD
Select the record type and complete the fields:

A Record:
- HOSTNAME: Record name (e.g., webserver01)
- IP ADDRESS: IPv4 address
- TTL: Time to live in seconds (default: 300)
MX Record:
- HOSTNAME: Record name (typically @ for zone apex)
- MAIL SERVER: FQDN of the mail server
- PRIORITY: Numeric priority (lower = higher priority)
- TTL: Time to live
NS Record:
- HOSTNAME: Subdomain being delegated (or @ for zone)
- NAME SERVER: FQDN of the authoritative name server
- TTL: Time to live
PTR Record:
- IP ADDRESS: The IP address (in reverse zone format)
- HOSTNAME: FQDN the IP resolves to
- TTL: Time to live
SRV Record:
- SERVICE: Service name (e.g., _sip._tcp)
- TARGET: FQDN of the service host
- PORT: Service port number
- PRIORITY: Priority value
- WEIGHT: Weight for load balancing between same-priority records
- TTL: Time to live
DNAME Record:
- HOSTNAME: Source subtree name
- TARGET: Destination subtree name
- TTL: Time to live
TSIG Record:
- KEY NAME: TSIG key identifier
- ALGORITHM: HMAC algorithm (hmac-sha256 recommended)
- SECRET: Base64-encoded shared secret
Click SAVE

Editing and Deleting Records¶

To edit a record, click the pencil icon on the record row
To delete a record, click the trash icon on the record row

Provisioning Integration¶

The built-in DNS resolver integrates with the HPE Morpheus Software provisioning workflow:

Automatic A Record Creation: When an Instance is provisioned with an IP assignment, an A record is created in the associated domain
PTR Record Creation: If a reverse zone exists for the IP range, a PTR record is automatically created
Record Cleanup: DNS records are automatically removed when Instances are terminated
Naming Policy Integration: DNS records follow configured naming policies for consistent naming

To enable automatic DNS for provisioning:

Associate a domain with the built-in resolver in Infrastructure > Network > Domains
On the Cloud or Network configuration, select the domain for DNS assignment
Configure naming policies as needed (Administration > Provisioning > Settings)

SOA Record Management¶

The SOA record for each zone is automatically managed:

Serial Number: Auto-incremented on each zone change (YYYYMMDDNN format)
Refresh Interval: How often secondary servers check for updates
Retry Interval: How long secondary servers wait before retrying after a failed refresh
Expire Time: How long secondary servers serve data without a successful refresh
Minimum TTL: Default TTL for negative caching (NXDOMAIN responses)

SOA parameters can be edited on the domain detail page.

TSIG Authentication¶

TSIG (Transaction Signature) provides authentication for DNS operations:

Zone Transfers: Authenticate AXFR/IXFR requests between DNS servers
Dynamic Updates: Verify the identity of clients sending DNS updates
Algorithm Support: HMAC-MD5, HMAC-SHA1, HMAC-SHA256, HMAC-SHA384, HMAC-SHA512

To configure TSIG:

Create a TSIG key record in the zone
Configure both parties (sender and receiver) with the same key name, algorithm, and secret
DNS operations between authenticated parties will include TSIG signatures

Limitations¶

The built-in DNS resolver is designed for internal use and has the following considerations:

Not intended as an internet-facing authoritative DNS server
Zone transfers to external secondary servers require network accessibility
Query volume should be appropriate for the HPE Morpheus Software appliance resources
For production internet-facing DNS, integrate with dedicated DNS infrastructure (Route 53, PowerDNS, etc.)