valid.nsupdate_zone/docs/QUICK_START.md

# Quick Start Guide - nsupdate_zone Module

## Installation

The module is part of the `community.general` collection:

```bash
ansible-galaxy collection install community.general
```

Install Python dependencies:

```bash
pip install dnspython
```

## Minimal Example

```yaml
- name: Update DNS zone
  community.general.nsupdate_zone:
    key_name: "nsupdate"
    key_secret: "your-tsig-key-here=="
    zones:
      - name: example.com
        dns_server: ns1.example.com
        records:
          - record: 'example.com.'
            type: A
            value: 192.168.1.1
          
          - record: www
            type: A
            value: 192.168.1.10
```

**Note**: By default, SOA, NS, and DNSSEC records are ignored, and record validation is enabled.
**Tip**: Run with `-v` flag to see detailed per-record actions.

## DNS Server Setup (BIND Example)

1. **Generate TSIG key:**

```bash
tsig-keygen -a hmac-sha256 nsupdate
```

2. **Configure BIND (`/etc/named.conf`):**

```
key "nsupdate" {
    algorithm hmac-sha256;
    secret "generated-secret-here==";
};

zone "example.com" {
    type master;
    file "/var/named/example.com.zone";
    allow-update { key nsupdate; };
    allow-transfer { key nsupdate; };
};
```

3. **Reload BIND:**

```bash
sudo systemctl reload named
```

## First Playbook

Create `update-dns.yml`:

```yaml
---
- name: Manage DNS zones
  hosts: localhost
  gather_facts: false
  
  tasks:
    - name: Update example.com zone
      community.general.nsupdate_zone:
        key_name: "nsupdate"
        key_secret: "{{ lookup('env', 'DNS_KEY') }}"
        key_algorithm: hmac-sha256
        protocol: tcp
        zones:
          - name: example.com
            dns_server: ns1.example.com
            records:
              # Zone apex
              - record: 'example.com.'
                type: A
                value: 192.168.1.1
                ttl: 3600
              
              # Web server
              - record: www
                type: A
                value:
                  - 192.168.1.10
                  - 192.168.1.11
                ttl: 300
              
              # Email
              - record: 'example.com.'
                type: MX
                value:
                  - "10 mail.example.com."
              
              - record: mail
                type: A
                value: 192.168.1.20
      register: result
    
    - name: Show what changed
      debug:
        msg: "Zone {{ item.zone }}: {{ item.changes.adds }} adds, {{ item.changes.deletes }} deletes, {{ item.changes.updates }} updates"
      loop: "{{ result.results }}"
```

Run it:

```bash
export DNS_KEY="your-tsig-key-here=="
ansible-playbook update-dns.yml
```

## Verify It Works

Check mode (dry run):

```bash
ansible-playbook update-dns.yml --check
```

Verify DNS records:

```bash
dig @ns1.example.com example.com A
dig @ns1.example.com www.example.com A
dig @ns1.example.com example.com MX
```

## Common Use Cases

### 1. Load Zone from Variable File

**zones/example.com.yml:**
```yaml
---
- record: 'example.com.'
  type: A
  value: 192.168.1.1

- record: www
  type: A
  value: 192.168.1.10
```

**Playbook:**
```yaml
- name: Load and apply zone
  hosts: localhost
  vars_files:
    - zones/example.com.yml
  
  tasks:
    - name: Update zone
      community.general.nsupdate_zone:
        key_name: "nsupdate"
        key_secret: "{{ vault_dns_key }}"
        zones:
          - name: example.com
            dns_server: ns1.example.com
            records: "{{ zones }}"
```

### 2. Ignore Dynamic Records and Use Global Server

```yaml
- name: Update zone (ignore ACME challenges, use global server)
  community.general.nsupdate_zone:
    key_name: "nsupdate"
    key_secret: "{{ vault_dns_key }}"
    dns_server: ns1.dns.com  # Global server for all zones
    # SOA and DNSSEC records are ignored by default
    ignore_record_patterns:
      - '^_acme-challenge\..*'
    zones:
      - name: example.com
        records: "{{ static_records }}"
```

### 3. Multiple Zones with Shared Server

```yaml
- name: Update all zones
  community.general.nsupdate_zone:
    key_name: "nsupdate"
    key_secret: "{{ vault_dns_key }}"
    dns_server: ns1.dns.com  # Shared server for all zones
    zones:
      - name: example.com
        records: "{{ example_com_records }}"
      
      - name: example.org
        records: "{{ example_org_records }}"
```

## Troubleshooting

### "AXFR failed: connection timeout"

- Check firewall allows port 53
- Verify `allow-transfer` in BIND config
- Test manually: `dig @ns1.example.com example.com AXFR`

### "UPDATE failed: REFUSED"

- Check `allow-update` in BIND config
- Verify TSIG key matches
- Check zone name is correct

### "TSIG key error"

- Verify key_secret is base64-encoded
- Check key_algorithm matches server config
- Ensure key_name matches server key name

### "CNAME conflict"

- Cannot have CNAME with other record types at same name
- Remove conflicting records from YAML
- Or use different subdomain

## Best Practices

1. **Use ansible-vault for keys:**
   ```bash
   ansible-vault encrypt_string 'your-key' --name dns_key
   ```

2. **Use TCP protocol:**
   ```yaml
   protocol: tcp  # More reliable for large zones
   ```

3. **Leverage defaults:**
   ```yaml
   # SOA and DNSSEC records are ignored by default
   # Record validation is enabled by default
   # Just add patterns for dynamic records
   ignore_record_patterns:
     - '^_acme-challenge\..*'
   ```

4. **Use verbose mode for visibility:**
   ```yaml
   verbose: true  # See Added, Removed, Changed, Skipped for each record
   ```

5. **Test with check and diff mode:**
   ```bash
   ansible-playbook playbook.yml --check --diff
   ```

6. **Use global dns_server:**
   ```yaml
   dns_server: ns1.dns.com  # Applies to all zones without dns_server
   ```

## Next Steps

- Read full documentation: `docs/nsupdate_zone_guide.md`
- See examples: `examples/nsupdate_zone_example.yml`
- Check sample zone: `examples/sample_zone_format.yml`

## Support

For issues and questions:
- GitHub: https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.general
- Docs: https://docs.ansible.com/