What is Azure DNS?
Azure DNS is a hosting service for DNS domains that provides name resolution through the global Microsoft infrastructure. The service uses an anycast network with four name servers per zone for fast DNS responses and offers native integration with Azure resources via Azure Resource Manager.
Core Features
- Global anycast network with four name servers per DNS zone for fast resolution worldwide
- Alias records for direct linking with Azure resources like public IPs, Traffic Manager, or CDN
- Azure Private DNS zones for internal name resolution in virtual networks, including automatic VM registration
- Management via Azure Portal, REST API, CLI, PowerShell, or infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform
- DNSSEC support for public DNS zones
- Role-based access control and resource locks to protect against accidental deletion
Typical Use Cases
- Hosting public DNS zones for enterprise domains
- Private DNS for Azure workloads without your own DNS infrastructure
- Traffic steering and failover in combination with Azure Traffic Manager
- Combining public and private zones for different internal/external resolution of the same domain
Benefits
- 100% SLA for DNS responses when using all four assigned name servers
- No DNS infrastructure of your own required
- Seamless integration with Azure services via alias records
- Billing based on zones and queries, with no separate infrastructure costs
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you with Azure DNS: DNS architecture, migration of existing DNS zones, and hybrid DNS setups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Azure DNS be used as a domain registrar?
No, Azure DNS is only a DNS hosting service. Domain registration is done with a registrar of your choice; the nameservers are then pointed to the four name servers assigned by Azure DNS.
What is Azure Private DNS?
Azure Private DNS enables DNS resolution within virtual networks without running your own DNS servers, including automatic registration of VM names. It's ideal for name resolution between VMs and Azure services.
How quickly are DNS changes propagated?
According to Microsoft, new or updated DNS zones and records become active on Azure DNS name servers within about 60 seconds. How quickly external resolvers see the change additionally depends on the configured TTL and their caching.
Which record types are supported?
Azure DNS supports common record types such as A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, PTR, SOA, SRV, and TXT, as well as alias records that automatically point to Azure resources like public IPs, Traffic Manager, or CDN endpoints.
Does Azure DNS support DNSSEC?
Yes, Azure Public DNS supports DNSSEC to cryptographically protect DNS responses against tampering.
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of Azure (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by Azure.
