Azure DNS is a hosting service for DNS domains, which allows you to manage your DNS records using the same Azure infrastructure, credentials, tools, APIs, and billing that you use for your other Azure services. In essence, it provides the crucial name resolution function for your web applications and services.
How Azure DNS Works
Azure DNS operates by hosting your DNS domain zones on Microsoft's global Azure infrastructure. This means that when a user queries a domain name that's hosted with Azure DNS, Azure's global network of DNS servers responds with the appropriate IP address, connecting the user to your web application or service.
Key Features of Azure DNS
- Hosting Service: As a hosting service, Azure DNS doesn't function as a registrar, therefore, you can't buy domains here. You should use a domain name registrar to purchase your domain names, after which you can use Azure DNS to manage your domain zone.
- Azure Infrastructure: Utilizes the reliable and scalable infrastructure of Microsoft Azure to host DNS domains.
- Name Resolution: Provides name resolution by translating domain names into IP addresses.
- Integrated Management: Offers a unified experience for managing DNS records alongside other Azure resources.
- Unified Billing: Bills DNS services with your other Azure services, simplifying your cost management.
- API and Tool Access: Enables managing your DNS records through APIs, command-line tools, and the Azure portal.
Practical Examples
Here are some practical uses of Azure DNS:
- Web Application Hosting: If you have a website hosted on Azure App Service, you would use Azure DNS to point your domain name to the IP address of your app service.
- Load Balancing: Azure DNS can be used with Azure Traffic Manager to load balance user traffic across different web servers or regions.
- Email Routing: You can configure MX records in Azure DNS to route emails to your email servers.
- Development and Testing: Provides a reliable way to manage DNS for internal test environments and staging sites.
Why Choose Azure DNS?
Azure DNS offers several advantages:
- Reliability: Benefits from Azure's robust and redundant infrastructure, ensuring high availability for your domain names.
- Scalability: Automatically scales to meet the demands of your applications.
- Security: Integrates with Azure security features, such as role-based access control.
- Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Azure services.
In Simple Terms
Imagine Azure DNS as a global phonebook for the internet. Instead of looking up phone numbers, it looks up web addresses and finds the right computers to connect you to. This "phonebook" is hosted by Microsoft using the powerful Azure infrastructure. If you are using other services in Azure it would make sense to also manage your DNS through Azure to keep things simple.
