A Domain Name System or DNS is a system that converts alphabetic names into numeric IP addresses. DNS translates or resolves the domain/web names into IP addresses. While people use domain names for simpler web navigation, computers use IP addresses.
Computer communications are based on using specific numbers, which are known as IP addresses. When users want to visit a website, they only need to enter the website’s domain name, and the computer will show the requested page.
DNS is a globally distributed server that resolves or translates human-readable queries into IP addresses. The DNS system will manage the connection between names and numbers. DNS servers can control the server an end-user will reach when a specific domain name is typed in the browser bar.
How Does DNS Work?
DNS is a server network communication system in which the DNS client sends requests to DNS servers and receives the answer in return. The DNS request includes name and leads to receiving IP addresses from the DNS server.
The domain name and its specific IP address are known DNS records. If users have requested a website before, that DNS record is cached on their computer, and when the users want to visit that website again, they will be taken directly to the destination.
In case that the record was not cached, the user’s query will be sent to the local DNS provider or resolving name server, which is adjusted by the IT team or ISP. If the record is not cached there as well, the query will be sent to the root name server, which is tasked to store DNS data. When the response is found, it will be cached on users’ computers.
This way, the next time the users search that website on their browsers, the result will be displayed on the screen immediately. Overall, DNS servers send and receive information to/from websites and computers to direct internet users to the right location on the web.
Read also: What Is DNS and How Does it Work?
DNS Hosting
To use a Domain Name for websites, emails, or applications, DNS hosting is necessary. DNS service will make a website accessible online in no time. DNS servers create DNS records, including MX records, CNAME records, and A records.
The DNS hosting builds and provisions domain name servers integrated with domain name registrar, web hosting services, and internet providers. DNS hosting can be self-hosted or outsourced to a third-party DNS hosting provider. DNS hosting will offer DNS nodes near to end-users, which results in delivering queries faster.
When business owners, website administrators, or start-up managers want to implement DNS servers, there are two ways to do so. They can self host a DNS or use a managed DNS service. But what are the differences between DNS and managed DNS? First, let’s have a glance at the managed DNS.
Managed DNS
Managed DNS service provides customers, including companies, businesses, and organizations, to outsource DNS to a third-party provider. (Check out also What Is Managed DNS?) This way, they utilize an authoritative DNS server hosted by a service provider to store their specific DNS records and enable internet access to their websites.
Managed DNS provides an advanced service that is controlled by a professional DNS hosting provider. The managed DNS providers will manage businesses, companies, and organizations’ resources like applications, communications, and websites. The managed DNS hosting provider implements important and technical infrastructures. Giving the task of handling your DNS to a service provider has its particular benefits, which we discussed explicitly in this article: 5 Reasons Why You Need Managed DNS Hosting.
DNS vs. Managed DNS
One of the significant differences between DNS and Managed DNS is the level of security they offer. Protecting a domain name/names from SOPF (Single Point of Failure) is an essential factor. Also, to mitigate and eliminate DDoS attacks, it is necessary to take care of all the updates and multi-layer security and monitoring at the same time. DNS and managed DNS both provide protection, but it is stronger in the latter. Managed DNS offers IP anycast, complex network infrastructure for a proper response to all the Distributed Denial of Service attacks. For instance, ArvanCloud-based managed DNS service offers rate-limiting, filtering, firewalls, DNSSEC, and blocking. A security team will apply multi-layer security with a managed DNS and ensure all the servers are updated and secured.
The second difference between DNS and Managed DNS is that managed DNS infrastructure is based on the cloud. Cloud-based managed DNS gives users the ability to monitor DNS zones’ status at different locations live. On the other hand, regular DNS resolves a query from a single physical place, which will take much longer for the response to reach the users. Cloud-based managed DNS uses a geographically distributed point of presence, which will synchronize the system simultaneously. This way, a malfunction or unavailability will be resolved instantly. In a regular DNS, besides having updated knowledge, the managing must be done manually. Managed DNS uses the PoPs to accelerate the responding process, improve the performance, and guarantee complete availability. In ArvanCloud-based managed DNS, the response needs less than ten milliseconds.
The reliability offered by managed DNS services is much more than regular DNS. For an upbeat business having a reliable resource is a vital factor. A reliable system ensures that all the details are working together, and nothing can damage it. With a managed DNS, this reliability is guaranteed along with redundancy, speed, and security. The distributed servers will eliminate the chance of failures and any additional need for technical infrastructure. When a regular DNS faces a problem, it can be hard to troubleshoot the issue on time. With a managed DNS, the connection will be uninterrupted, and in case of a sudden failure, it will be detected and resolved instantly by the professional support team.
Another major difference between DNS and managed DNS is the reports and analytics they provide. Both of these services provide customers with valuable data and reports. This way, it is possible to detect weaknesses and power points. These reports and analytics are more advanced in managed DNS services. They offer DNS traffic, real-time load, and detailed statistics. If a business wants to grow its resources, these reports are highly critical.
As a managed DNS service, ArvanCloud makes it possible to monitor the round-robin, load balancing of assigned IPs, accessibility status, and server health. Managed DNS can offer log generation, traffic analysis, monitoring requests, IP health check, usage, and downtime trends. As a result, it will be easier to increase performance, achieve the best user experience, and gain more sales and conversion rates.
To have a general overview, it is also good to know that managed DNS services are easier to work with. They eliminate the frustration of being responsible for controlling DNS servers. A professional team manages everything. Managed DNS can be more cost saving for they use a multi-tenant environment. This will eliminate the hardware expenses. Flexibility in managed DNS services is higher than regular DNS. With managed DNS, customers can determine their objectives and receive the service they need.
Read also: Best Free Managed DNS Services
Considering the differences between DNS and managed DNS services, now you can choose the best option for your business efficiently. Your choices will directly depend on your business’s needs and your main priorities.
Check out ArvanCloud Managed DNS to sign up for a free account. You can test the cloud-based managed DNS hosting service yourself.
