How should this legacy technologist go about getting started with DO? I'd like to start up services for website hosting and email for my new business.

September 20, 2015 2k views
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collins
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collins

All of my training and work experience has been in IT, but the last 14 years have been in AppDev Sales and IT Recruiting. The first 14 years were spent as a Network Engineer with Deloitte, primarily using Novell, Cisco, VMware, Citrix and early Microsoft technologies.

My domain is presently hosted through godaddy where I have email and Office365. I'm not happy with godaddy, but am feeling locked in.

  • I know I can transfer the domain but would like some direction in what is needed at DO to prepare for this.
  • I know I can transfer the email and am familiar with the mechanics of this, but not much more
  • I doubt I can transfer the Office365 unless someone surprises me

I can learn what is needed as long as I know where to start.

Then long-range, I'll likely outsource site development, integrate a blog I've started on WordPress, extend functionality into database tech (TBD) and integrate with 3rd party services I'm using via their API's

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1 Answer
ForYourIT September 20, 2015

Hello,
I know the feeling you have of being locked in. You got alot more permissions, full access actually, when you have your own VPS or dedicated server. However it takes alot of managing once you need to setup and maintain everything, but I think you are able to do this.

"I know I can transfer the domain but would like some direction in what is needed at DO to prepare for this."
Well, you don't need alot at DO. But since DO isn't a registrar you need to

  • Or move registrar. For example namecheap (I use them as registrar all the time)
  • Or you need to stay at godaddy for your domain and make some changes. Only thing the DO DNS management panel need, is you to transfer the nameservers to digitalocean (ns1,ns2,ns3). Once you got yourself an account, you can add a domain name and manage it there.

"I know I can transfer the email and am familiar with the mechanics of this, but not much more"
Good, so what do you need? Need any information or was that just a note ?

"I doubt I can transfer the Office365 unless someone surprises me"
Since the Office365 is created by Microsoft, you need a Windows environment to get this running. DO only provides linux distros so you won't be able to have that running at DO. Or there needs to be some sort of Open Source project to get this running.

For all the rest, you can make whatever you want as long its not illigal. Its all unmanaged droplets, so you can run your blog , use third party service's and so on. You just need to set it up all your self, or get somebody to do it for you (for example a freelancer like me or any IT company)

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  • collins September 20, 2015

    Thanks for the response CrypticDesigns. You've confirmed what I was just now investigating about the registrar. I've updated my DNS records. Now looks like I need to create DVS. Simply going through some of the online tutorials first to make sure I'm clear on what all I need to do for this and for email. I decided to set up a domain other than the one with Office365 associated with it. This is another new company and if I screw it up, then I can blow it away and start over, though I'm pretty sure I'll get it the first time. By the way, 3rd party services are all workflow solutions. My businesses are 1-Technical Recruiting (with the associated Office365) and 2-AppDev (the account I'm working with now). Second business will be done by those I hire, not me, but obviously no one has been hired yet. Taking this one slowly.

    Anyway, thanks for your feedback.

    • ForYourIT September 20, 2015

      Good, no problem. If you need any more help at any time you can post something here or threw skype: cryptic-designs
      Sounds good you use another domain name just to be sure. Goodluck with it!

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