Horizon / Test System Accounts

OpenSRS provides every reseller with access to a test environment nicknamed Horizon. Horizon mirrors the live environment closely, with a few important differences, and is the place to learn and test integrations without affecting real registrations or your account balance. This article covers how to sign in, what's different from live, your test balance, API setup, and which services are available.

What Horizon is

Horizon is the OpenSRS test environment for resellers. Use it to rehearse domain registrations, develop and test API integrations, and try changes safely before applying them to your live account.

Account access

Sign in to the test Reseller Control Panel (RCP) using the credentials you chose when you first registered as an OpenSRS reseller. Passwords do not expire.

Sign in to the test Mail Administration Console (MAC) using the password you chose at registration. Your MAC username is the same as in the live system. See the MAC access article for details.

Production and test differences

Horizon is built for experimentation. It differs from the live environment in the following ways:

• Registrations are not processed into the public root registry. Test-registered domain names are not real and do not function on the internet.
• The test environment will likely not recognize your nameservers. Use ns1.systemdns.com and ns2.systemdns.com.
• You can register names that are not available on the internet. Horizon only checks against previous test registrations — but you still cannot register the same name twice within Horizon (including across resellers).
• You cannot transfer domains in Horizon.
• Email is not sent or received. The email tab is not available in the test RCP.
• Billing and payment functions are not available.

Account balances

Registering domains in Horizon uses test credits, not real money. Every Horizon account starts with $5,000 in test credit. To top up, contact OpenSRS Support.

API configuration

The test environment API requires an API key but does not require IP authorization, which makes it easier to develop and test integrations.

Test API connection details:

• Server: horizon.opensrs.net
• Port: 55443

Service availability

Domains

Horizon duplicates the production environment's domain functionality and is connected to most registries' test platforms. Popular TLDs available in Horizon include:

• .CA, .COM, .COOP, .DE, .ES
• .EU, .FR, .IN, .IO, .MX
• .NAME, .NET, .NL, .ORG, .SE

For the full list, see the TLD reference chart (column X).

Hosted Email

Email is not available in the sandbox RCP. Access the test email environment at admin.test.hostedemail.com. Messages are not sent or received in this sandbox. If you need test email access set up, contact OpenSRS Support.

Trust (SSL)

You can place and complete SSL orders in Horizon using email validation only. Test certificates issued in Horizon are valid for one week.

Next steps

• Sign in to Horizon. Open manage.test.opensrs.com with your reseller credentials and start exploring.
• Try a test registration. Walk through the registration workflow end to end before you spend live credits. See the OpenSRS Quickstart Guide article.
• Build out your API integration. Use the test server and port above to develop without IP authorization friction. See the OpenSRS API documentation.
• Bookmark every service login. Save the Login URLs for OpenSRS Services article for fast access to live and test interfaces.

Questions? Contact OpenSRS Support.