GeoDNS – What is it?
You can find GeoDNS, also called global traffic director or only traffic director. Don’t get confused. They mean exactly the same thing! It represents a very effective technique for optimizing the incoming traffic of a domain via geographical-based routing.
If we compare the traditional DNS service and GeoDNS service, we should point out the main difference. The traditional DNS servers store an identical IP address for a particular domain. On the other hand, GeoDNS includes storing multiple IP addresses based on the location. In addition, it is an alternative for cloud-based load balancing. As a result, the overall performance of your network is going to be improved.
It is a great choice for organizations with a global presence and for companies that deliver content worldwide (CDN). Based on the fact that the name servers are placed in numerous strategic locations worldwide, it completely satisfies the needs of these large organizations.
How does it work?
The extensive networks with a great number of servers cover all of the needed regions, continents, and the entire planet. Thanks to them, GeoDNS is achievable.
Users are capable of finding your domain name thanks to a process called DNS resolution. This process is triggered every time a user wants and types a domain name into their browser’s address bar. The DNS query travels through several DNS servers to find an answer. In case GeoDNS is implemented, the DNS servers are going to look at the IP address of the user. That way, they understand from what location and region the request is initiated. Then, they examine and determine in their database which is the suitable server to answer the DNS query. There is a different IP address for the same domain name in each server. That is the key to excellent speed.
Standard DNS servers, meaning without GeoDNS, operate with one identical IP address for a domain (Anycast DNS, for instance). GeoDNS determines the route. That way, the requests are directed to the geographically nearest server.
Why should you use GeoDNS?
- Better traffic distribution – GeoDNS allows you to manage the traffic efficiently, and it is an excellent solution for load balancing (like Round-Robin). In addition, it helps you to avoid traffic overload and DNS downtime automatically via this approach. On the other hand, it also serves perfectly for building a complete CDN.
- Easy set up – GeoDNS is actually very simple to use. You just have to set it up, and then everything is going to operate automatically.
- Eliminates DNS downtime – When you have an entire network of DNS servers, you are instantly improving the uptime. Even in worst-case scenarios, and one server is down, the DNS requests are going to be answered from another server in your group.
- Set geo-restrictions. You can restrict particular users based on their IP address and location. That is very useful in cases when you handle objects with intellectual properties, for instance, videos, music, pictures, and so on.
Who can benefit from GeoDNS?
GeoDNS could be a great solution for various types of businesses. However, the majority of large companies with a global presence are going to notice the most benefits of implementing this type of service. Also, content platforms that deliver their services to their global audience and e-commerce websites that demand high uptime.
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