Domain name server – DNS is that easy to manage?
Welcome back to my blog!
Today I want to share how I worked with DNS — the challenges I faced, the lessons I learned, and how these experiences helped me gain real-world knowledge in managing and automating DNS systems.
DNS might seem like a small part of networking, but understanding it deeply opens the door to better troubleshooting, smoother deployments, and even cloud-native innovations. In this post, I’ll take you through my journey of managing DNS both in production and test environments, with practical tips and insights.
My Adventures with DNS: From Production to Test Environments
DNS might seem like a small part of networking, but understanding it deeply opens the door to better troubleshooting, smoother deployments, and even cloud-native innovations. In this post, I want to share some of my experiences managing DNS both in production and test environments, along with practical tips and insights.
My Early DNS Experience
Many people know what DNS stands for — Domain Name System — but few understand how it works in practice. My first job gave me the opportunity to manage several DNS servers, configure zones for external services, and really see how DNS operates.
I wouldn’t call myself a DNS guru yet, but I’ve solved my fair share of problems and gained solid technical knowledge in the field.
I worked at a hosting company, starting as an admin and eventually helping rebuild the hosting system used by clients for their websites and applications.
PowerDNS vs. Bind9: Architectural Differences
During that time, I managed several authoritative servers running:
- PowerDNS with HA (High Availability)
- Bind9
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Feature | PowerDNS | Bind9 |
|---|---|---|
| Record storage | Database | Zone file |
| Split zone support | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic update | Without reload | Requires rndc and server reload |
| Resolver + Authoritative | Cannot combine | Can combine caching and authoritative functions |
These servers stored records added manually or by clients. My tasks included:
- Maintenance and synchronization
- Record updates
- Managing spam
- Managing PTR records
For end users, neither server offers a user-friendly interface by default. For PowerDNS, we used web wrappers like cPanel. Bind9 was usually managed via tools like Plesk or Webmin.
Note: I wouldn’t recommend these servers for Kubernetes environments. Cloud-native DNS servers like CoreDNS or Knot are better suited.
For home use, simpler solutions such as /etc/hosts edits or Pi-hole are sufficient. Pi-hole, combined with plugins, can block ads, trackers, and malicious websites effectively.
What is DNS?
DNS stands for Domain Name System, a server that stores and resolves domain names. Domains exist to make it easier for humans to access services. Instead of remembering an IP like 159.12.30.24, we can use mydomain.com.
How It Works
- Client setup: A computer has an IP, subnet, gateway, and DNS servers configured.
Example:IP: 192.168.10.20 Subnet: 255.255.255.0 Gateway: 192.168.10.1 DNS1: 8.8.8.8 DNS2: 1.1.1.1 - User request: The client types
mydomain.comin a browser. - DNS resolution:
- The request goes to the gateway, which forwards it to DNS1 (or DNS2 if DNS1 is unavailable).
- The DNS server responds with the IP address for the domain.
- The client can now reach the website.
- Caching: Subsequent requests are faster because the IP is cached on the client side.
Why Not Just Use IP Addresses?
Using IPs directly is impractical because:
- IPs can change frequently
- Certificates are tied to domain names, not IPs
- Domains are easier to remember
If an IP changes, DNS caching across clients and public resolvers may delay propagation up to 48 hours, depending on TTL (Time To Live) settings.
A quick local workaround is editing /etc/hosts, but this is only feasible for personal use, not shared or dynamic environments.
Why Use a DNS Server?
DNS servers like Bind9 or PowerDNS are crucial when:
- You need to share domain info across multiple devices or users
- You want to manage records centrally
- You are running dynamic updates in production
Bind9 supports dynamic updates but requires a reload. PowerDNS supports SRV records natively, which help discover services running in a network. SRV records are widely used in cloud-native environments like Kubernetes.
Important DNS Record Types
- A record → IPv4 address of the domain
- AAAA record → IPv6 address
- CNAME → Alias to another domain
- MX → Mail exchange record
- PTR → Reverse lookup (maps IP to domain, useful for verifying email servers)
PTR records are especially important for email validation. In Europe, IP allocations are managed by RIPE, while in the USA by ARIN.
Automation and My Personal Projects
I’ve also experimented with DNS at home. Check out my GitHub project: Splunner/dns. It covers:
- Configuring Bind9
- Using DNSControl with plugins for managing records
- Examples of different DNS deployment models
In production, I fully automated the process of setting up master and slave Bind9 servers with custom configurations.
- Setup time reduced from 2–3 hours to 15 minutes using Ansible and Python
- Used a split-view schema for efficient management
- Deploying new configurations is fully automated via YAML-declared files
This automation makes it easy to manage, update, and scale DNS infrastructure efficiently.
Final Thoughts
DNS is much more than a simple “IP-to-name” mapping. Understanding how it works, how records interact, and how to automate management can save hours of manual work and prevent configuration errors.
Check out the project on my GitHub, try it yourself, and feel free to leave comments or questions — I’d love to hear your thoughts!