OK, here I go. With my limited undertsanding of how all this works I will post this question and see if a) anybody understands me and b) if anyone can help.

I currently have a server. It is running it's own nameserver IP's on the same machine (ns1.old.com and ns2.old.com). I am planning on moving all the domain on this server to a new server. I will keep the same nameserver names, but obviously the IP's will change.

From what I understand, the process is pretty simple for the most part for .com type domains. My problem is with .com.au domains. When we delegate a .com.au domain we need to specify both the nameserver names as well as the IP's of that server. This means when we go to move the server we need to redelegate all the .com.au domains (what a hassle).

What I need to know is;
a) has anyone had any experience with this for .com.au domains?
b) how did you approach it to reduce downtime for your .com.au clients?
c) is there a way I can avoid a similar problem in the future?

With question c), what I was thinking was getting my own IP's and running the nameserver info seperate to the domains. At the moment the IP's are obviously owned by whichever hosting company I lease the server through. Is there a way I can get my own IP's so I never have to go through this nightmare again, even if I decide to move the clients from one server to another?

Any help/comments appreciated.

I have this same question myself. The only difference is I'm changing the nameservers and the IPs. This will be a bear of a task as I get everyone to change the nameservers to their domains.

I have some 40 clients and I am changing both the nameservers and IP's and so far no one has complained. In fact, it is no different from asking your client to change his nameservers when he moves from another host [in my opinion]

But it is definitely a bear of a task and unless I have my own DNS somewhere else [where I can change the IP's and nameservers in my zone records, which I very foolishly didn't have at the time], I dont see a way out except asking clients to change their DNS records.

Moving mySQL db's and emails can be a real pain

Of late I have become wiser and register all my domains with enom and use their DNS servers - but wisdom thru hindsight is like Sophocles says: Alas, alas, What misery to be wise, when wisdom profits nothing!

Cheers
Balaji