Hosting Moodle internally - Access required from Internet

[CHiLL]

Hello,

I have been tasked with installing and hosting Moodle on our internal server infrastructure, but access to Moodle is required from outside of school, such as a pupil accessing it from home. At this moment in time, I want to set this server up internally, without any outside access, and then enable outside access at a later date. However I understand that during the initial configuration of Moodle, you have to use the specific URL that you will be using for both internal and external connections.

 

So far I have created a virtual Windows Server 2012 R2 x64 server, downloaded complete install package for Windows (Moodle version 2.9.2+ from here: https://download.moodle.org/windows/) and following this Moodle installation guide: https://docs.moodle.org/29/en/Complete_install_packages_for_Windows

 

The internal server FQDN could be: moodle.local with an internal IP of 10.10.20.10

Our external Moodle FQDN URL could be: vle.schoolwebsite.com with an Internet IP of 62.86.34.12.

 

I have attempted creating a CNAME entry in the Forward Lookup Zomes in DNS for:

Alias name: vle.schoolwebsite.com

Fully qualified domain name (FQDN): vle.schoolwebsite.com.local

Fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for target host: moodle.local

 

However, that doesn't seem to have worked. Even with vle.schoolwesbite.com in the proxy bypass, it still isn't working.

 

How can I configure our internal network and local Moodle server to work using vle.schoolwebsite.com within school and later publish/obtain a certificate so that external access can be enabled?

Edited November 3, 2015 by CHiLL

[IrritableTech]

Setup a static DNS entry internally (forward lookup zone) for the vle.schoolwebsite.com address pointing at 10.10.20.10 and then later when it goes public you just need to add an A record (vle) to your external DNS pointed at the 62.86.34.12 address. It should really be that straight forward. Edited November 3, 2015 by IrritableTech

[CHiLL]

Setup a static DNS entry internally (forward lookup zone) for the vle.schoolwebsite.com address pointing at 10.10.20.10 and then later when it goes public you just need to add an A record (vle) to your external DNS pointed at the 62.86.34.12 address. It should really be that straight forward.

When you say a static DNS entry, what do you mean? Would it be in the Forward or Reverse Lookup Zone? I have DNS open, but have the options for:

• New Host (A or AAAA)...
  
• New Alias (CNAME)...
  
• New Mail Exchanger (MX)...
  
• New Domain...
  
• New Delegation...
  
• Other New Records...
  
• DNSSEC
  

Which of these should it be?

Edited November 3, 2015 by CHiLL

[IrritableTech]

Sorry - Right click on Forward Lookup Zone and click New Zone assuming you haven't already got a schoolwesbite.com entry?

 

Add a new zone, Primary zone, to all DNS servers running on domain, Zone name: vle.schoolwesbite.com Allow only secure, finish.

 

Then enter the zone and create a new A record leaving the name blank and pop in the IP address.