Skip to main content
Ralph’s Domain module handles domain ownership, business purpose, and payment information. This is a domain ownership and contract management tool, not a DNS record manager.
For DNS record management, see django-powerdns-dnssec which integrates with PowerDNS server.

​
Overview

The Domain module helps you:
  • Track domain ownership and registration details
  • Manage domain contracts and renewals
  • Monitor domain costs and billing
  • Organize domains by business segment
  • Link domains to services and environments
  • Maintain domain hierarchy (domain and subdomains)

​
Domain Structure

Domains can be organized hierarchically: 
allegrogroup.com (parent: none)
├── test.allegrogroup.com (parent: allegrogroup.com)
└── api.allegrogroup.com (parent: allegrogroup.com)

​
Adding a Domain

1

Navigate to Domains

Click Domain → Domains → Add domain
2

Enter Domain Name

Type the full domain name (e.g., allegrogroup.com).For top-level domains, leave Parent unset.
3

Set Service Environment

Select the Service/Environment pair describing why this domain exists.Examples:
  • Service: “Auction Service”, Environment: “production”
  • Service: “Internal Tools”, Environment: “testing”
4

Choose Domain Status

Select the current status:
  • Active - Domain is in use
  • Pending lapse - Expiring soon
  • Pending transfer - Being transferred away
  • Lapsed - Inactive/expired
  • Transferred away - No longer owned
5

Set Business Segment

Choose or create a business segment to group related domains.Example: “Marketplaces”, “Internal Services”, “Partner Sites”
6

Assign Ownership

Set the responsible parties:
  • Business Owner - Manages domain and subdomain strategy
  • Technical Owner - Handles technical maintenance
  • Domain Holder - Company receiving billing
7

Add Pricing Information

Enter contract details:
  • Expiration date - When the domain registration expires
  • Registrant name - Registrar (e.g., “GoDaddy”, “Namecheap”)
  • Domain price - Cost for the registration period
8

Save the Domain

Click Save to create the domain record.

​
Adding Subdomains

To add a subdomain:
1

Create Subdomain

Add a new domain with the full subdomain name.Example: test.allegrogroup.com
2

Set Parent

In the Parent field, select the parent domain.Example: Select allegrogroup.com
3

Configure Settings

Set service environment, owners, and other details as needed.
This creates a hierarchical relationship between domains.

​
Domain Fields Explained

​
Basic Information

Domain Name
  • Full domain name including TLD
  • Must be unique across all domains
  • Example: example.com, api.example.com
Parent Domain
  • Links subdomain to parent domain
  • Leave empty for top-level domains
  • Creates organizational hierarchy
Domain Status
  • Tracks lifecycle state
  • Helps identify expiring or transferred domains
  • Use for renewal planning

​
Business Details

Service Environment
  • Links domain to a specific service and deployment environment
  • Helps understand domain purpose
  • Useful for organizing multi-service architectures
Business Segment
  • Groups domains by business unit or product line
  • Examples: “E-commerce”, “Marketing”, “Internal IT”
  • Enables cost allocation by segment

​
Ownership and Responsibility

Business Owner
  • Responsible for domain strategy
  • Approves subdomain creation
  • Makes business decisions about domain use
Technical Owner
  • Handles DNS configuration (if applicable)
  • Manages technical integrations
  • Responsible for uptime and technical SLAs
Domain Holder
  • Legal entity that owns the domain
  • Receives invoices for domain registration
  • Example: “Allegro Group”, “ACME Corporation”

​
Financial Information

Expiration Date
  • When current registration expires
  • Used for renewal tracking
  • Set alerts before expiration
Registrant Name
  • Domain registrar managing the domain
  • Examples: “GoDaddy”, “Namecheap”, “AWS Route53”
  • Helps track where domains are registered
Domain Price
  • Cost for current registration period
  • Used for budget tracking
  • May include multiple years

​
Domain Status Types

Active
  • Domain is currently in use
  • DNS is configured and serving traffic
Pending Lapse
  • Approaching expiration date
  • Needs renewal decision
  • May require budget approval
Pending Transfer
  • Being transferred to another registrar or owner
  • May have transfer lock period
Lapsed (Inactive)
  • Registration has expired
  • May be in grace or redemption period
  • Could still be recoverable
Transferred Away
  • No longer owned by your organization
  • Historical record only
  • Keep for audit trail

​
Common Workflows

​
Domain Renewal Planning

1

Find Expiring Domains

Filter domains by expiration date to find those expiring soon.
2

Contact Business Owner

Verify if the domain should be renewed with the business owner.
3

Update Status

Set status to “Pending lapse” if renewal is uncertain.
4

Process Renewal

After renewal, update expiration date and price if changed.

​
Subdomain Request

1

Verify Parent Domain

Ensure the parent domain exists in Ralph.
2

Get Approval

Contact the parent domain’s business owner for approval.
3

Create Subdomain

Add the subdomain with parent relationship.
4

Configure DNS

If using PowerDNS integration, configure DNS records.

​
Cost Tracking

1

Group by Segment

Use business segment to organize domains by cost center.
2

Export Data

Generate reports showing costs per segment.
3

Budget Planning

Use expiration dates to plan renewal costs for next fiscal year.

​
Integration with DNS Management

While Ralph tracks domain ownership, DNS record management requires additional tools:

​
PowerDNS Integration

For DNS records, use django-powerdns-dnssec:
  • Manage A, AAAA, CNAME, MX records
  • DNSSEC support
  • Integration with PowerDNS server
  • API access to DNS records
Ralph’s domain module and PowerDNS can work together:
  • Ralph: Domain ownership and contracts
  • PowerDNS: DNS records and resolution

​
Tips and Best Practices

Set Expiration Reminders: Create a process to review domains 60-90 days before expiration.
Consistent Naming: Use a standard for subdomain names (e.g., service-environment.domain.com).
Document Ownership: Always assign business and technical owners for accountability.
Track All Costs: Include multi-year registrations with the total cost and expiration date.
Domain expiration can cause service outages. Always monitor expiration dates and renew critical domains early.

​
API Access

Access domain data via REST API: 
# List all domains
curl https://<YOUR-RALPH-URL>/api/domains/ \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_TOKEN"

# Get specific domain
curl https://<YOUR-RALPH-URL>/api/domains/1234/ \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_TOKEN"

# Filter by business segment
curl https://<YOUR-RALPH-URL>/api/domains/?business_segment=5 \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_TOKEN"

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us