DNS Automation Across University Infrastructure
Replaced manual BlueCat DNS changes with version-controlled, Ansible-driven automation.
Overview
DNS records for the Informatics and AI & Human Interfaces departments were maintained by hand in the BlueCat DNS platform. This project introduced Ansible-based automation to make changes repeatable, reviewable, and less error-prone.
Problem
Manual DNS changes were slow, inconsistent between administrators, and left no audit trail—small mistakes could cause hard-to-diagnose connectivity issues.
Constraints
- Had to work within the existing BlueCat platform rather than replacing it
- Changes needed to be safe to run against live university infrastructure
- Limited prior automation tooling in place to build on
Approach
Moved the DNS inventory into version control and built Ansible playbooks against BlueCat's API, so changes could be reviewed before being applied and reapplied consistently across environments.
Key Decisions
Automate via Ansible rather than continue manual changes
Idempotent, auditable changes reduced the risk of configuration drift and human error.
Tech Stack
- Ansible
- BlueCat DNS
- Git
Result & Impact
DNS changes became repeatable and auditable instead of ad-hoc, reducing the risk of manual configuration errors across departments.
Learnings
- Version-controlling infrastructure configuration pays off quickly once more than one person touches it
- Automating a legacy platform's API is often more practical than replacing the platform itself