how to configure backup server DNS

I am using third party DNS for one domains.
I want to tune the DNS setting in such a ways so that if one server goes down other picks up.
Primary server
A record 28800

Secondary
A record 14400

Primary MX
10

Secondary MX
30

Is this configuration right?

not sure what you're doing with the A records, but you've got the right idea with the MX record numbers.

>> I want to tune the DNS setting in such a ways so that if one server goes down other picks up
Just so you should know, a lot of people have this misconception that a secondary server is used, only if the primary server goes down. This is absolutely FALSE. Just making sure that you don't have this misconception.

I have a similar problem. I need to have something re-direct traffic to a back-up webserver on a different IP address in the event of a failure of the primary. I think I uderstand what you are doing with the MX records for mail, but I'm not sure where to go next. A Record? CNAME?

Current config looks like this:
Zone Record Name: @
Zone Record Type: A
Zone Record Value: 24.xxx.xxx.xxx

From their config tool, I can add entries for : A, CNAME, MX0, MX10, MX20, MX30, MX40, MX50

the goal would be to have a secondary entry (like the A Recrod above) that pointed to the backup server say 68.xxx.xxx.xxx

Sorry for the "Newbieness" of my question. Any help would be appreciated.

Sounds to me like you've got a pretty lousy domain host. Calling a record a MX10 is just insulting to the domain name system. I hope you don't ever need to do anything remotely uncommon, cause then you need to go out on the market for better domain host that is free.

But anyway, the best DNS-only solution you've got is assigning 2 IPs to 1 domain. Suredly your domain host can handle that right? Once you assign 2 IPs to 1 domain, then both webservers will be active at the same time. If one goes down the other will still handle requests.

While one of the servers is down, people will sometimes wait a long time for a page to load. This happens when their browser tries to connect to the down webserver first, then after the connection times out, it tries the second IP and gets the page just fine. I've just now tested this and that's what happened.

Thanks for the advice. I am curious tho, do I create a new A Record for the second IP? Thanks in advance.

Are you suggesting that he have one nameserver point to one address for the domain and the other nameserver to another IP address?

nope. One set of name servers with identical content with 2 IP addresses for the root and www domains results in the behavior I just defined. I've played with the idea of having different IPs on different name servers before with no counter-argument except "non-standard!", but I decided to just suggest a standard solution this time around since the non-standard solution doesn't work for his specific circumstance.

no_control: I don't know how to explain this any easier since I'm not familiar with your domain config interface. Just make sure your domain resolves to two IPs.