Hey...I am using www.ultradns.com to set up my DNS servers for my clients. I am using apache web server on my RedHat7 system.
I do not want to buy a unique ip address for each domain. How do I tell my nameserver what directory to go to on my machine? for example /users/client1 and /users/client2. How do I define those so I dont have to buy more IP's. Please get technical with me and be specific. Thank you.

Hi Xebex,

DNS has _nothing_ to do with http.
You're going to have to configure directories (among other things) within your httpd (ie, Apache, Roxen, IIS, or whatever you're using).

Cheers,

Raj Dutt

Hmm.. maybe you can have 2 IP. Not each user. for ns1 or ns2 whatever... and at apache you can setting at VirtualHost.

For add IP, please visit /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/:cartman:

but in that virtual host, what do I put for the IP setting in apache? If i am only using one ip how does the software tell them apart.

Here is an example of virtual hosts set up with IP based hosting. Each VH has its own IP. (This example does not include log path/name and other possible entries)

<VirtualHost 192.168.1.10>
ServerAdmin webmaster@sistersdomain.com
DocumentRoot /home/httpd/html/sisters
ServerName sistersdomain.com
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost 192.168.1.11>
ServerAdmin webmaster@brothersdomain.com
DocumentRoot /home/httpd/html/brothers
ServerName brothersdomain.com
</VirtualHost>

Here is an example of a virtual hosts set up with name-based virtual hosting.

<VirtualHost 192.168.1.10>
ServerAdmin webmaster@sistersdomain.com
DocumentRoot /home/httpd/html/sisters
ServerName sistersdomain.com
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost 192.168.1.10>
ServerAdmin webmaster@brothersdomain.com
DocumentRoot /home/httpd/html/brothers
ServerName brothersdomain.com
</VirtualHost>

Name-based VH works because the server can tell which domain name was used in the browser's URL (location) bar.

Gary

In short it uses the name to resolve the address not the ip. It's call name resolution. In the example above, the server can tell which client is being requested by the domain name that the client's browser uses, called host header and that's how it directs the user to the appropriate directories.