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Use case 16: Dual-Stack DNS server support for GSLB

December 4, 2025
Contributed by: 
C

NetScaler GSLB now supports configuring dual-stack (IPv4 and IPv6) DNS server objects that share a single FQDN. This enhancement allows you to configure a single FQDN with both A (IPv4) and AAAA (IPv6) record types, streamlining the configuration and supporting migration to dual-stack environments.

The previous workflow restricted domain-based server configurations, preventing you from using the same FQDN for different DNS record types. As a result, customers migrating to dual-stack environments had to implement complex, time-consuming workarounds to manage separate IPv4 and IPv6 endpoints for the same service, which complicated DNS autoscaling functionality.

The new solution removes this restriction, allowing a single FQDN to be configured with multiple server entities that have different DNS query types (A, AAAA, or SRV). With the change to the existing workflow, you can now create a single service group bound to both IPv4 and IPv6 servers for a given FQDN. This, in turn, allows a single virtual server entity to be created for the FQDN that supports both IPv4 and IPv6 services. NetScaler GSLB automatically resolves client DNS queries to the appropriate IP address family (IPv4 or IPv6) based on the query type (A or AAAA). The solution also includes health checks and traffic management capabilities to intelligently distribute traffic across both IPv4 and IPv6 endpoints.

Some of the benefits are:

  • Simplified configuration: Eliminate the need to duplicate DNS server objects, avoiding complex and manual reconfiguration.

  • Operational efficiency: Improve in efficiency, especially for large-scale deployments and migrations to dual-stack environments.

  • Seamless integration: Maintains compatibility with existing DNS Autoscaling mechanisms in dual-stack environments.

  • Future-Proofing: The transition to IPv6 is smoothed, allowing you to use benefits like increased address space and improved routing.

Note:

The Dual-Stack DNS server feature is applicable to GSLB and load balancing configurations that use domain-based services or service groups, regardless of whether auto-scaling is enabled.

The existing Domain Name-Based Service (DBS) now supports Dual-Stack DNS, which allows you to use the same FQDN for multiple DNS record types (A, AAAA, SRV) when configuring servers bound to a GSLB or load balancing service group.

The Dual-Stack DNS feature extends to SRV records and supports configuring both IPv4 and IPv6 servers on a single SRV endpoint, a configuration that was previously restricted.

To configure Dual-Stack DNS server by using the CLI

The add server command supports the Dual-Stack DNS server feature.

  1. Configure the initial server entity for the target FQDN by using the add server command.

    add server <serverName> <FQDN> -queryType <queryType>

  2. Specify another query types for the same FQDN. Use the add server command again, specifying the same FQDN but providing a different DNS query type (for example, AAAA or a different SRV type).

    add server <serverName1> <FQDN> -queryType <queryType>

Example

Run the following command to add the IPv4 server entity for the domain:


add server <serverName_v4> <FQDN> -domainNameQueryType A

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Run the following command to add the IPv6 server entity for the same domain:

add server <serverName_v6> <FQDN> -domainNameQueryType AAAA
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Configure autoScaling workflows in dual-stack environments

Integrating dual-stack (IPv4/IPv6) services normally break existing DNS autoScaling workflows due to the requirement for separate A and AAAA record management. This is solved by configuring a single NetScaler dual-stack service group, where both the IPv4 and IPv6 server entities are bound to the same service group.

Perform the following steps to configure dual-stack autoScaling workflows:

  1. Create two server entities using the same FQDN (cloudserver.domain), differentiated by their query type, to allow GSLB to query both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

    At the command prompt, type:

    ```
add server gslb-ipv4-server cloudserver.domain -queryType A
add server gslb-ipv6-server cloudserver.domain -queryType AAAA
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  2. Create two separate GSLB service groups, one for IPv4 and one for IPv6.

    At the command prompt, type:

    ```
add gslb serviceGroup gslb-sg-ipv4
add gslb serviceGroup gslb-sg-ipv6
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  3. Bind the corresponding server entity to the appropriate service group.

    At the command prompt, type:

    bind gslb serviceGroup gslb-sg-ipv4 gslb-ipv4-server
bind gslb serviceGroup gslb-sg-ipv6 gslb-ipv6-server
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  4. Create two GSLB virtual servers using the FQDN, one configured to respond with an A record (IPv4) and the other with an AAAA record (IPv6).

    At the command prompt, type:

    add gslb vserver gslb-vs-ipv4-A -domainName example.com -dnsRecordType A
add gslb vserver gslb-vs-ipv6-AAAA -domainName example.com -dnsRecordType AAAA
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  5. Bind the GSLB service group to corresponding GSLB virtual server.

    At the command prompt, type:

    bind gslb vserver gslb-vs-ipv4-A -service gslb-sg-ipv4
bind gslb vserver gslb-vs-ipv6-AAAA -service gslb-sg-ipv6
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  6. Bind the GSLB domain to the GSLB virtual server.

    At the command prompt, type:

   bind gslb vserver gslb-vs-ipv4-A -domain example.com
   bind gslb vserver gslb-vs-ipv6-AAAA -domainName example.com

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Use case 16: Dual-Stack DNS server support for GSLB
December 4, 2025
Contributed by: 
C
December 4, 2025
Contributed by: 
C

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