Bulk Update PTR Records

Overview 
 Use  Bulk PTR update  when you need the  same kind of change  on  many IPv4 addresses at once — for example, after a migration, when standardising hostnames for mail servers, or aligning reverse DNS across a range. Single-address changes can stay in the normal row editor or PTR modal. 
 Before you start 
 
 Each  PTR  must be a valid  FQDN  (for example  mail.example.com , not a single word without a domain). 
 Best practice: the hostname you set should have  forward DNS  (usually an  A  record) pointing to  that same IP , so forward and reverse match. 
 Only IPs that appear under  your account  in  IP Address Management  can be updated. Anything else is rejected as  not yours . 
 Maximum  500  IP → hostname pairs  per batch . If you have more, split into multiple runs. 
 
 Open the bulk tool 
 
 Sign in to the NOC. 
 Open  IP Address Management . 
 Click  Bulk PTR update  (toolbar at the top of the main table). 
 
 Step 1 — Compose 
 
 In the editor, paste  one pair per line . 
 On each line, put the  IPv4  first, then the  hostname , separated by a  space ,  tab , or  comma . 
 
 
 Example: 
 203.0.113.10 mail.example.com
203.0.113.11 smtp.example.com
203.0.113.12,ns1.example.net 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Use  Paste  if you are copying from a spreadsheet or text file.  A sample  can show the expected shape if you are unsure.  Clear  wipes the editor. 
 Watch the  line counts  at the bottom:  valid ,  invalid ,  not yours ,  duplicates .
 
 Fix  invalid  lines (bad IP or bad hostname shape). 
 Remove or correct lines marked  not yours . 
 Duplicates : only one update per IP should win; clean extra lines if the count surprises you. 
 
 
 When you have at least one  valid owned line, and you are ready, continue to the next step ( Queue updates  or equivalent). 
 
 Step 2 — Apply 
 The NOC  queues  each change and applies it with  limited concurrency  (server-side). You will see: 
 
 A  progress  bar and counts for queued, running, succeeded, and failed. 
 Optionally  cancel remaining  if you need to stop mid-run. 
 
 Do not close the browser tab  until the run finishes unless you accept that some rows may still be in flight. 
 Step 3 — Summary 
 Review  updated ,  failed , and  cancelled  counts and duration. 
 
 Retry failed only  — runs again for lines that errored (after you fix the underlying issue if needed). 
 Copy failed as CSV  — handy for support tickets or a second attempt in a spreadsheet. 
 Close  when you are done. 
 
 Verify 
 PTR and DNS propagate at different speeds everywhere. After a successful run: 
 
 Use your usual  reverse DNS  lookup (or  dig -x  / online checker) on a few addresses. 
 Confirm  A  records still match the names you set. 
 
 
 Common issues 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 What you see 
 What to do 
 
 
 
 
 
 Many  not yours 
 
 
 Those IPs are not in your inventory in this screen; fix the list or assign services correctly first. 
 
 
 
 
 Invalid  count high 
 
 
 Check for typos, missing dots in FQDNs, or spaces inside the hostname. 
 
 
 
 
 Some  failed 
 
 
 Open the API activity toggle to check the logs. Retry failed after fixing DNS or transient errors. 
 
 
 
 
 Second batch needed 
 
 
 Stay within  500  lines per run; start a new bulk session for the rest. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Tips 
 
 Sort and dedupe your source file  before pasting to avoid duplicate IP lines. 
 For a cutover, update  forward DNS first , then bulk PTR, or do both in close sequence and recheck. 
 Keep a copy of the file you pasted — the summary’s export CSV is best for  failures , not always a full audit of successes.