DNS and Web redirects

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
Last updated: Feb 22, 2023 by Eric Feldhusen
3 min read

Due to how certificates work, the powerschool servers must reside in the remc1.net domain. We use a redirect on webservices.remc1.net to move users into the correct place. The reason we do this instead of just using a CNAME to point from ps.SCHOOLDOMAIN.org to psschool.remc1.net is that the CNAME keeps the ps.SCHOOLDOMAIN.org URL (alias style) so the *.remc1.net cert will not work since the URL is SCHOOLDOMAIN.net. The redirect below changes the URL in the end user's browser; when they type in ps.SCHOOLDOMAIN.org, it will actually change the URL to psschool.remc1.net. 


The PS redirect file is located on web6,  /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/010-powerschoolRedirects.conf

Example

I will use the CCISD as an example. On the CCISD website there is a link to PowerSchool which points to http://powerschool.copperisd.org. This is a CNAME to webservices.remc1.net.  Inside webservices there is a virtual host that does a redirect to pscopperisd.remc1.net. pscopperisd will differ from the inside and the outside.   On the inside DNS this is CNAMEed to the current PowerSchool server (at time of writing that is ps2copperisd.remc1.net). On the outside that is an A record to the one public IP that is held by the PowerSchool server for the CopperISD. I have also inserted CNAMES for all the ps1, ps2, etc. on the outside to point towards it's A record.



OutsideInsideVirtual Host config

pscopperisd.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.46

ps1copperisd.remc1.net. IN CNAME pscopperisd.remc1.net.

ps2copperisd.remc1.net. IN CNAME pscopperisd.remc1.net.

pscopperisd     IN      CNAME   ps2copperisd

ps2copperisd     IN      A       172.16.30.4

ps1copperisd.remc1.net. IN      A       172.16.20.144

<VirtualHost powerschool.copperisd.org>
Redirect /public https://pscopperisd.remc1.net/public
Redirect /teachers https://pscopperisd.remc1.net/teachers
Redirect /subs https://pscopperisd.remc1.net/subs
Redirect /admin https://pscopperisd.remc1.net/admin
Redirect /bulletin http://pscopperisd.remc1.net/bulletin
Redirect / https://pscopperisd.remc1.net/public
</VirtualHost>

As you can see, the way the virtual host is setup will cause the same name to be resolved on the outside as well as the inside. On the outside the VIP will never change, so that's the A record. Where as on the inside the host may so that's the CNAME. You will need to reload apache on the web server in order for the new virtual host config to take hold. 


So, in short, the 2 things you need to change to drop a new PowerSchool server in will be:

  • The inside IP for the virtual IP on the fortigate
  • Add a new DNS record for the new server
  • The inside DNS CNAME 


Configs for example purposes:

OutsideInside

psadams.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.14

ps1adams.remc1.net. IN CNAME psadams.remc1.net.
ps2adams.remc1.net. IN CNAME psadams.remc1.net.
ps3adams.remc1.net. IN CNAME psadams.remc1.net.

psbaraga.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.24.157
ps1baraga.remc1.net. IN CNAME psbaraga.remc1.net.
ps2baraga.remc1.net. IN CNAME psbaraga.remc1.net.

psbessemer.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.30
ps1bessemer.remc1.net. IN CNAME psbessemer.remc1.net.
ps2bessemer.remc1.net. IN CNAME psbessemer.remc1.net.

pscia.remc1.net IN A 208.68.26.36

pscopperisd.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.46
ps1copperisd.remc1.net. IN CNAME pscopperisd.remc1.net.
ps2copperisd.remc1.net. IN CNAME pscopperisd.remc1.net.

pscts.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.60
ps1cts.remc1.net. IN CNAME pscts.remc1.net.
ps2cts.remc1.net. IN CNAME pscts.remc1.net.


psdollarbay.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.81
ps1dollarbay.remc1.net. IN CNAME psdollarbay.remc1.net.
ps2dollarbay.remc1.net. IN CNAME psdollarbay.remc1.net.

psetc.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.100
ps1etc.remc1.net. IN CNAME psetc.remc1.net.
ps2etc.remc1.net. IN CNAME psetc.remc1.net.


psfp.remc1.net. IN A 204.38.48.161
ps1fp.remc1.net. IN CNAME psfp.remc1.net.
ps2fp.remc1.net. IN CNAME psfp.remc1.net.


psgoisd.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.124
ps1goisd.remc1.net. IN CNAME psgoisd.remc1.net.
ps2goisd.remc1.net. IN CNAME psgoisd.remc1.net.


pshan.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.150
ps1han.remc1.net. IN CNAME pshan.remc1.net.
ps2han.remc1.net. IN CNAME pshan.remc1.net.


pshoughton.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.129
ps1houghton.remc1.net. IN CNAME pshoughton.remc1.net.
ps2houghton.remc1.net. IN CNAME pshoughton.remc1.net.


psironwood.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.160
ps1ironwood.remc1.net. IN CNAME psironwood.remc1.net.
ps2ironwood.remc1.net. IN CNAME psironwood.remc1.net.


psll.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.178
ps1ll.remc1.net. IN CNAME psll.remc1.net.
ps2ll.remc1.net. IN CNAME psll.remc1.net.

psoasd.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.212
ps1oasd.remc1.net. IN CNAME psoasd.remc1.net.
ps2oasd.remc1.net. IN CNAME psoasd.remc1.net.

psremc1.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.24.29
powerschool.remc1.net. IN CNAME psremc1.remc1.net.
ps1remc1.remc1.net. IN CNAME psremc1.remc1.net.
ps2remc1.remc1.net. IN CNAME psremc1.remc1.net.

pswakefield.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.237
ps1wakefield.remc1.net. IN CNAME pswakefield.remc1.net.
ps2wakefield.remc1.net. IN CNAME pswakefield.remc1.net.


pswatersmeet.remc1.net. IN A 208.68.25.241
ps1watersmeet.remc1.net. IN CNAME pswatersmeet.remc1.net.
ps2watersmeet.remc1.net. IN CNAME pswatersmeet.remc1.net.

;PowerSchool DNS CNAME
psadams IN CNAME ps19adams
psbaraga IN CNAME ps19baraga
psbessemer IN CNAME ps19bessemer

pscia IN CNAME ps19cia
pscopperisd IN CNAME ps19copperisd
pscts IN CNAME ps19cts
psdollarbay IN CNAME ps19dollarbay
psetc IN CNAME ps19etc
psfp IN CNAME ps19fp
psgoisd IN CNAME ps19goisd
pshan IN CNAME ps2han
pshoughton IN CNAME ps19houghton
psironwood IN CNAME ps2ironwood
psll IN CNAME ps19ll
psoasd IN CNAME ps19oasd
psremc1 IN CNAME ps19remc1-01
pswakefield IN CNAME ps19wakefield
pswatersmeet IN CNAME ps19watersmeet
psstanton IN CNAME ps19stanton

;New Powerschool servers
ps3adams IN A 172.16.30.1
ps2baraga IN A 172.16.30.2
ps2bessemer IN A 172.16.30.3
ps2copperisd IN A 172.16.30.4
ps2cts IN A 172.16.30.5
ps2dollarbay IN A 172.16.30.6
ps2etc IN A 172.16.30.7
ps2fp IN A 172.16.30.8
ps2goisd IN A 172.16.30.9
ps2han IN A 172.16.30.10
ps2houghton IN A 172.16.30.11
ps2ironwood IN A 172.16.30.12
ps2ll IN A 172.16.30.13
ps2oasd IN A 172.16.30.14
ps2remc1 IN A 172.16.30.15
ps2wakefield IN A 172.16.30.16
ps3watersmeet IN A 172.16.30.17
ps2stanton IN A 172.16.30.18

;old powerschool servers
ps1adams.remc1.net. IN CNAME ps2adams.remc1.net.
ps2adams.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.177
ps1baraga.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.174
ps1bessemer.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.145
ps1copperisd.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.144
ps1cts.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.143
ps1dollarbay.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.142
ps1etc.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.153
ps1fp.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.6
ps1goisd.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.141
ps1han.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.172
ps1houghton.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.140
ps1ironwood.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.139
ps1ll.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.171
ps1oasd.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.148
ps1remc1.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.137
ps1wakefield.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.147
ps1watersmeet.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.138
ps1stanton.remc1.net. IN A 172.16.20.159