What Is Azure DNS
Azure DNS is a hosting service for DNS domains that provides name resolution using Microsoft Azure infrastructure. By hosting your domains in Azure, you can manage your DNS records using the same credentials, APIs, billing, and access control as your other Azure services.
Launched in 2016, Azure DNS uses Microsoft's global anycast network to answer DNS queries from the closest Azure region. This provides low-latency responses for users worldwide. Azure DNS is an authoritative DNS service — it hosts the DNS records for your domain so that recursive resolvers can query it on behalf of end users.
Azure DNS integrates with other Azure services including Azure App Service, Azure Load Balancer, Azure Traffic Manager, and Azure Content Delivery Network. This tight integration makes Azure DNS the natural choice for organizations already running infrastructure on Microsoft Azure.
Key Features
Azure DNS supports all standard DNS record types, DNSSEC signing, alias records for pointing to Azure resources, and Azure Private DNS for name resolution within virtual networks. It offers RBAC-based access control through Azure Active Directory, Azure Policy compliance, and full integration with Azure Monitor for logging and alerting. Azure DNS provides a 100% uptime SLA.
Pricing
Azure DNS charges $0.50 per zone per month for public zones and $0.25 per zone per month for private zones. Query pricing starts at $0.40 per million queries. There is no free tier for public zones, but Azure typically offers free credits for new accounts that cover initial usage.
Azure Private DNS
Azure Private DNS allows you to manage DNS zones for Azure virtual networks without needing a custom DNS solution. Private zones are resolvable only within specified virtual networks and are not accessible from the internet. This is useful for internal service discovery, microservices communication, and hybrid cloud scenarios.
Setup Guide
To use Azure DNS, create a DNS zone in the Azure portal, add your DNS records, and delegate your domain by updating your registrar's name servers to the Azure DNS name servers shown in the zone overview. Delegation typically propagates within minutes to hours depending on TTL values.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Azure DNS?
A managed DNS hosting service on Microsoft Azure that provides authoritative name resolution using Azure's global anycast network.
How much does Azure DNS cost?
$0.50 per public zone per month plus $0.40 per million queries. Private zones are $0.25 per month.
Does Azure DNS support DNSSEC?
Yes, Azure DNS supports DNSSEC zone signing.
Is Azure DNS the same as Azure Private DNS?
No. Azure DNS is for public internet-facing domains. Azure Private DNS is for name resolution within Azure virtual networks.
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