General configuration

Changing domain owner

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How to enable users to order change of owner for a domain.

Overview

Cost can be configured per TLD, and a default TLD can be defined. The approval methods vary depending on TLD. Configuration of which TLD is to be approved can be done by visiting the link that is sent out to both the new and the old owner via email. Approval of some TLDs require paperwork. It’s possible to send a link to the form that needs to be filled out, and define in an email template how that filled out form is to be sent to the reseller.

Enabling change of domain owner

Perform the following to enable change of domain owner.

Setting up domainreg

    1. Install domainreg with version 1.1.176 or higher.
    2. Update of domainreg can be done by executing the following commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install atomiadomainregistration-masterserver
sudo service atomiadomainregistration-api restart

Installing whois-server

    1. Install nodejs with the following commands.
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:chris-lea/node.js  
sudo apt-get update  
sudo apt-get install nodejs
    1. Install atomiadomainregistration-whois-server from Atomia Domain Registration. The following commands can also be used to update the whois-server, if it is already installed.
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install atomiadomainregistration-whois-server
sudo service atomiadomainregistration-whois-server restart

Configuration

Add the following global configuration properties before the first section in the whois-server configuration file /etc/domainreg.conf.

Required configuration properties

  • smtp_sender – Holds the email that will be displayed as sender for approval emails.
  • owner_change_registrar_name – Registrar name to be displayed when sending emails.

Optional configuration properties

  • owner_change_confirm_landing_redirect – If user opens just the hostname part of the confirmation link, he will be redirected to this link.
  • old_owner_change_subject – Specifies a text to be used as approval email subject sent to current owner. If unset, default text will be used “DOMAIN NAME OWNER CHANGE – Authorization from current owner”.
  • new_owner_change_subject – Specifies a text to be used as approval email subject sent to new owner. If unset, default text will be used “DOMAIN NAME OWNER CHANGE – Authorization from owner to be”.
  • owner_change_toc_link – Additional link to be sent to current owner. Can be used for terms and conditions for example or something similar. No default value.
  • new_owner_change_toc_link – Like owner_change_toc_link only for new owner. Default value is what’s set in owner_change_toc_link.
  • owner_change_timeout_days – Specifies number of days approval links from confirmation mails are valid. Default is 60.

Example:

smtp_sender = [email protected]
owner_change_registrar_name = Atomia AB
owner_change_confirm_landing_redirect = http://www.atomia.com/

Setting up one or more products

At least one product has to be added to the domain owner change feature. It is possible to defined more if needed. When adding product, it is important to select the following criteria:

  • Provisioning service: DomainOwnerChange
  • Product category: DomainOwnerChange

If shops are not being used, product(s) need to be added to Atomia.Web.Plugin.HostingProducts.dll.config in Hosting Control Panel. This can be done with the following transformation:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration xmlns:xdt="http://schemas.microsoft.com/XML-Document-Transform">
   <hostingProductsConfigurationSection xmlns="Atomia.Web.Plugin.HostingProducts.Configurations">
       <productsList>
          <product id="someUniqueId" articalNumber="OWNER-CHANGE" productCategory="DomainOwnerChange" xdt:Transform="Insert">
          </product>            
        </productsList>
    </hostingProductsConfigurationSection>
</configuration>

Configuring TLDs

The following is the default configuration in HostingControlPanel/bin/Atomia.Web.Plugin.Domains.DomainManager.Core.dll.config.

<domainOwnerChange xmlns="http://schema.atomia.com/hcp/domainownerchange">
    <tldsWithElectronicApproval defaultEmailTemplatePrefix="" defaultArticleNumber="">
    </tldsWithElectronicApproval>
    <tldsWithPaperworkApproval defaultEmailTemplatePrefix="" defaultArticleNumber="">
        <tld id=".se" formLink="https://www.sedirekt.se/wp-content/uploads/overlatelseblankett.pdf"/>
    </tldsWithPaperworkApproval>
    <disabledTlds>
    </disabledTlds>
</domainOwnerChange>

Here, there are three main elements: tldsWithElectronicApproval, tldsWithPaperworkApproval and disabledTlds. Element contains a list of TLDs where approval is done only by opening a link sent in an email. This is the default list, and if TLD is not configured anywhere else, system will consider that TLD as part of tldsWithElectronicApproval list. Element tldsWithPaperworkApproval contains a list of TLDs where approval is done by filling out paperwork. TLD .se is configured by default with pdf form link. Element disabledTlds contains a list of TLDs for which changing of owner is disabled.

Possible attributes for elements

  1. tldsWithElectronicApproval
    1. defaultEmailTemplatePrefix – Template name prefix to be used by default for TLDs with electronic approval when sending notification that owner change was initiated. Note that electronic approval TLDs don’t need the template, but can be used to provide some additional info.
    2. defaultArticleNumber – Article number of the product to be used by default for TLDs with electronic approval when ordering owner change.

Keep in mind

Article number needs to be set for this feature to be enabled.

  1. tldsWithPaperworkApproval
    1. defaultEmailTemplatePrefix – Template name prefix to be used by default for TLDs with paperwork approval when sending notification that owner change was initiated. Paperwork approval TLDs need to have template configured (either here or in TLDs emailTemplatePrefix) in order to send the form and instruction on how to fill it.
    2. defaultArticleNumber – Article number of the product to be used by default for TLDs with paperwork approval when ordering owner change. If left unset, value for tldsWithElectronicApproval will NOT be used.
    3. vdefaultFormLink – Link to the form to be used by default for TLDs with paperwork approval when sending notification that owner change was initiated.
  2. disabledTlds
    1. No attributes.
  3. tld
    1. id – TLD name itself with . before it. Lowercased.
    2. emailTemplatePrefix – Template name prefix to be used when sending notification that owner change was initiated for domain with TLD specified in id attribute. Overrides parent’s defaultEmailTemplatePrefix
    3. articleNumber – Article number of the product to be used when ordering owner change for domain with TLD specified in id attribute. Overrides parent’s defaultArticleNumber
    4. formLink – Contains link to the form to be filled out for change approval. Applies only to TLDs under tldsWithPaperworkApproval. Overrides parent’s defaultFormLink.

Here is an example where .com has it’s own article number and email template, and .net is disabled:

<domainOwnerChange xmlns="http://schema.atomia.com/hcp/domainownerchange">
    <tldsWithElectronicApproval defaultEmailTemplatePrefix="DomainOwnerChangeElectronic" defaultArticleNumber="OWNER-CHANGE">
        <tld id=".com" emailTemplatePrefix="DomainOwnerChangeCom" articleNumber="OWNER-CHANGE-COM" />
    </tldsWithElectronicApproval>
    <tldsWithPaperworkApproval defaultEmailTemplatePrefix="DomainOwnerChangePaperwork" defaultArticleNumber="OWNER-CHANGE">
        <tld id=".se" formLink="https://www.sedirekt.se/wp-content/uploads/overlatelseblankett.pdf"/>
    </tldsWithPaperworkApproval>
    <disabledTlds>
        <tld id=".net" />
    </disabledTlds>
</domainOwnerChange>

Here is a transformation that will create configuration like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration xmlns:xdt="http://schemas.microsoft.com/XML-Document-Transform">
    <domainOwnerChange xmlns="http://schema.atomia.com/hcp/domainownerchange" xdt:Transform="Replace">
        <tldsWithElectronicApproval defaultEmailTemplatePrefix="DomainOwnerChangeElectronic" defaultArticleNumber="OWNER-CHANGE">
            <tld id=".com" emailTemplatePrefix="DomainOwnerChangeCom" articleNumber="OWNER-CHANGE-COM" />
        </tldsWithElectronicApproval>
        <tldsWithPaperworkApproval defaultEmailTemplatePrefix="DomainOwnerChangePaperwork" defaultArticleNumber="OWNER-CHANGE">
            <tld id=".se" formLink="https://www.sedirekt.se/wp-content/uploads/overlatelseblankett.pdf"/>
        </tldsWithPaperworkApproval>
        <disabledTlds>
            <tld id=".net" />
        </disabledTlds>
    </domainOwnerChange>
</configuration>

Setting up templates

When adding templates, for each template prefix configured there should be two templates added. One for email subject and one for email body. It is important to select template type Domain owner change (DOMAIN_OWNER_CHANGE is the value if you’re adding it directly in database).

For the example above, there should be six templates added with names like this:

  • DomainOwnerChangeElectronicSubject
  • DomainOwnerChangeElectronicBody
  • DomainOwnerChangeComSubject
  • DomainOwnerChangeComBody
  • DomainOwnerChangePaperworkSubject
  • DomainOwnerChangePaperworkBody

Possible placeholders to be used in template are:

  • $CustomerFirstName$ – First name of the customer that requested the change
  • $CustomerLastName$ – Last name of the customer that requested the change
  • $ResellerFax$ – Reseller fax. Can be used to specify where should the filled out form be sent. By default, it’s resellers fax from main address. It’s possible to override by adding custom attribute for reseller account with name DomainOwnerChangeFax.
  • $ResellerEmail$ – Reseller email. Can be used to specify where should the filled out form be sent. By default, it’s resellers email from main address. It’s possible to override by adding custom attribute for reseller account with name DomainOwnerChangeEmail.
  • $FormLink$ – Link to the form to be filled out.
  • $DomainName$ – Domain name for which the owner change is happening.
  • $Reseller.[SomeProperty]$– Reseller properties where [SomeProperty] is something from list below.
    • Example: $Reseller.Name$
      • Name
      • HomeUrl
      • BillingUrl
      • OrderUrl
      • HcpUrl
      • SupportUrl
      • ContactUrl
      • SupportEmailAddress
      • SupportPhoneNumber
      • SalesEmailAddress
      • SalesPhoneNumber
      • FacebookUrl
      • TwitterUrl
      • BloggerUrl
      • BankName
      • BankAccNo
      • BankIdNumber
      • IBAN
      • SWIFT
      • CompanyNumber
      • GooglePlusUrl
      • LinkedInUrl
      • Address
      • Address2
      • City
      • Zip
      • Phone
      • Fax
      • Country
      • LegalNumber

Approving owner changes for TLDs with paperwork

TLDs with paperwork need to be manually approved (or canceled) once the filled out form is received. This can be done in Admin Panel > Subscriptions > List manual domain owner changes (in the left side-box). This will open a list of subscriptions pending approval.

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