DNS (Domain Name System) is one of the backbones of the internet because it functions like its phone book. It translates domain names like Google.com or Facebook.com into IP addresses that machines can read and use to connect. DNS allows us to use easy-to-remember domain names instead of IP addresses, performs the lookups required to connect to the right servers, and ensures our browsers can load the content they need. But what is managed DNS?
Managed DNS: A Short Overview
Managed DNS is the same as any other DNS system but with a distinction. With self-managed DNS solutions, businesses are responsible for ensuring all the authoritative DNS requests to their servers are served correctly.
Managed DNS services automate server and DNS zone orchestration management. The DNS provider handles the configuration, maintenance, and security of an entity’s DNS server. The entity, organization, or client then uses the infrastructure provided by the managed DNS provider to manage its domain names.
In this arrangement, all requests to the organization’s URL are routed through the provider’s servers that fetch all the requested resources and serve them to the user.
Why You Should Use a Managed DNS Service
Managed DNS makes it easy for organizations to use specific DNS settings for different websites and set different DNS records for them, too. This makes it easier to control how a user can use specific domain names. For example, you might ask the provider to configure your DNS so that the user can access the mail server but not the FTP server.
Another reason to consider managed DNS services is that they make it easy to add a new domain name to your account. When you purchase an additional domain name for a provider, you can set its DNS settings to point to a specific server. This means you can shop around for the domain name and work with whichever provider you wish.
Doing this is especially useful in the age when some providers want you to purchase a hosting solution alongside a domain name. But what happens if you already have a hosting solution and need an additional domain name? You can purchase one from wherever and change its DNS records to point to your hosting server.
Managed DNS Gives You Better Control Over Your Website
Many people do not know that there are several ways to control access to a website. Depending on your use cases, you can restrict access using IP restrictions, firewalls, and passwords. Instead of configuring all of these yourself, you can ask your managed DNS provider to do it for you.
Using this solution, you can provide access to your website to anyone with the domain name or IP address or only allow specific users to do so.
A typical scenario for implementing security measures is when you are getting bombarded with a brute force or DDoS attack. If you know what IP addresses the attacks are coming from, you can block those at the DNS level. If you do not, you can block everyone else and only let your IP address or that of the person who can address the issue access your website.
By doing this, you can reduce the load on your server and give yourself enough time to rectify the issue or patch the vulnerabilities allowing these attacks.
It Makes Managing DNS Records Easier
If you have multiple domain names, you need to manage their DNS records in multiple places. This is not viable for businesses that need to manage numerous domains on top of not allowing specific access to protect themselves.
With managed DNS services, you can point all these domains to the same DNS server and use that to manage all their DNS records. The added advantage of doing this is that you can easily handle DNS restoration if you lose your DNS settings.
What Problems Does Managed DNS Solve?
Managed DNS solves several critical business problems or issues. The first is configuration. Unless you have worked with DNS records before, you might not know the difference between MX and A records (the former are for email and the latter for website addresses). There are numerous other records like these that you should know about if you want to configure your DNS correctly.
Fortunately, you do not have to do any of this if you use a managed DNS service provider. These businesses offer easy-to-use interfaces and pre-configured templates to simplify setting these records correctly. If you do not know how to do it yourself, you can always ask them to handle everything.
Security Management
Another problem managed DNS providers solve is security management. Your DNS records are crucial for your online presence. Hackers can and do exploit vulnerabilities in DNS records through a process known as DNS spoofing. Once they do this, they can redirect all your users to a malicious website or use their access to steal sensitive user and business information.
The right managed DNS service provider offers features like automatic mitigation, continuous monitoring, and threat detection to safeguard your domains. Doing so protects your business and its reputation because you will not be known as the business that sends users to malicious websites or does not protect their data properly.
Managed DNS Helps with Website Performance
Any business with a global audience understands that fast DNBS resolution is essential. Traditional DNS uses a hierarchical structure. This introduces delays for users located far from name servers. Managed DNS providers like Gcore use Anycast networks that are geographically distributed.
These networks ensure all DNS queries are routed through the closest servers. This minimizes latency and leads to faster website load times.
Managed DNS provides all cache records that people access frequently. This means they do not have to look them up each time. In addition, their sophisticated caching mechanisms optimize website performance and are tailored for specific traffic types and patterns. Managed DNS is the solution that many organizations and businesses need to solve specific website-related issues. Service providers ensure they are a reliable and secure solution for businesses that do not have the resources to manage their DNS. Their benefits and the problems they solve make a crucial case for why all businesses, especially those with high traffic levels, should use them.
