# Host name resolution

When you add a server component (Connection Broker, Gateway, RD Session Host, Provider, etc.) to a RAS Farm you have to specify its FQDN or IP address. It is normally up to you whether to use FQDN or IP address. On the other hand, the server IP address can change in the future. If that happens, you will have to reconfigure the corresponding component in the RAS Farm. On the other hand, the server FQDN usually stays the same, so if you used it instead of the IP address, no RAS configuration changes will be necessary. For this reason, Parallels RAS gives you an option to always resolve IP addresses to FQDNs for all server components in a Farm.

To always use name resolution, do the following:

1. In the RAS Console, click **Tools** > **Options** on the main menu (that's the menu at the top of the RAS Console window).
2. In the **Options** dialog, select the **Always attempt to resolve to fully qualified domain name (FQDN) when adding hosts** option.
3. Click **OK**.

When you now try to add a component to a Farm and enter its IP address instead of a name, it will be automatically resolved to FQDN. If the FQDN cannot be determined, you will see an error message and will be asked if you would like to use the IP address instead.

The examples below demonstrate how the automatic name resolution works for different components.

## Adding a RAS Connection Broker

1. On the **Connection Brokers** tab, click **Tasks** > **Add**.
2. In the **Server** field, enter the server IP address.
3. Click **Next**.
4. In the dialog that opens, observe that the IP address has been resolved to FQDN and the **Server** field contains the FQDN.

## Adding a RAS Secure Gateway

1. On the **Gateways** tab, click **Tasks** > **Add**.
2. In the **Server** field, enter the server IP address.
3. Click **Resolve**. This will copy the IP address to the **IP(s)** field and will enable the **Next** button.
4. Click **Next**.
5. In the **Installing RAS Secure Gateway** dialog, observer that the server IP address is replaced with the FQDN.

## Adding an RD Session Host

1. On the **RD Session Hosts** tab, click **Tasks** > **Add**.
2. On the first page of the wizard, enter the server IP address and click the plus-sign icon.
3. Observe that the server is added to the list, but the IP address is substituted with the FQDN that was automatically resolved.

## Add a provider

1. In **Farm** > **Site** > **Providers** tab, click **Tasks** > **Add**.
2. Select the provider you want ot add**.**
3. In the **Address** field, enter the IP address of a Provider.
4. Enter the remaining properties and click **Next**.
5. Observe that the Provider address is replaced with the FQDN.


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