How to Deploy and Configure Azure Public DNS Zones

Introduction

Azure Public DNS is a reliable, resilient, and scalable cloud-based DNS service offered by Microsoft Azure. It allows you to host your DNS domains (zones) and manage your DNS records using the same credentials, billing, and support contract as your other Azure services.

Prerequisites

1. Azure Subscription
2. Domain Name: Obtain a domain name from a provider like GoDaddy, Bluehost, etc.
3. Domain Provider Control: Access to the control panel of your domain provider.

Benefits

1. You don't need to host your records with the domain provider.
2. You can manage your records using Azure DNS.

For more details, refer to my previous article about Azure DNS. Why Azure DNS

Steps to Create a DNS Zone in Azure

Step 1. Search for "DNS zone" in the Azure Marketplace.

Step 2. Click "Create" to start creating the DNS zone.

Step 3. Enter the domain name you want to create. For example, in my case, it is "shanuka.cloud".

Note that the service region will be automatically selected based on the resource group.

Step 4. Now, Microsoft allows uploading DNS zone files. For example, if you want to export and import DNS records from an existing Azure DNS to a New DNS Zone, this is where you can perform that task. Learn More

Step 5. Click on the "Review + Create" button to finalize the creation of the DNS zone.

Step 6. I successfully created my DNS zone, and now you can see the nameservers.

Configuration of DNS Nameservers in your domain Register

Step 1. Go to your domain registrar. In my case, I am using GoDaddy.

Step 2. Now, replace the GoDaddy nameservers with the Azure DNS Nameservers.

Step 3. I have successfully added Azure DNS nameservers to my GoDaddy account.

Important Note. The beauty of this setup is that any traffic is directed to your domain, in my case, shanuka.cloud will find the nameservers from Azure DNS instead of GoDaddy.

If you want to point your server to an A record, you can do it here instead of depending on your domain registrar.

Conclusion

Azure Public DNS is an essential service for businesses looking to manage their DNS infrastructure in the cloud. It offers scalability, reliability, ease of management, and integration with other Azure services, making it an excellent choice for managing DNS records in a cloud environment.