| NamePros Member | The benefits of using Managed DNS (even for web hosts)
Managed DNS is a service provided by many domain name registrars and other third-party service providers. Some registrars provide this service for free, while other registrars and third-party service providers may charge a small fee.
Managed DNS is a strategy that IMHO should be considered by all online enterprises, and even more so by hosting companies. Not only does it provide an inexpensive level of redundancy, having your Domain Name Servers hosted away from your website infrastructure, but it may increase the performance of your website if you have multiple geographically dispersed name servers. If one nameserver goes offline or an area of the internet temporarily fail, there will be several other name servers in other geographical locations to fill the gap and provide nameservices for your domain.
Other compelling reasons why you might consider Managed DNS include...
It will provide you the flexibility to change and modify your DNS records anytime you like. You can setup all A Address, MX records and CNAME records to suite your business needs. You can create and add private nameservers (including uniquely named NSs) and subdomains on the fly. You can spread your website across several different servers globally. And most powerful of all, any changes that you make are almost instantly propagated.
That last reason IMO is the most compelling if not the most important of all. If for whatever reason you need to move your website(s) to another server, move your server(s) to another data-center, or just need to expand your website over other servers, your A Address and MX Records can be changed and will propigate within seconds or minutes instead of the usual 24-72 hours. This is very powerful if disaster strikes.
Note: email forwarding is often included with managed DNS services, which can be easily changed when necessary as well.
As a web host, Managed DNS should be apart of your contengency plan. If in the event your servers go off line (there are many reasons this could happen), it is important that you are able to get at least your own website up and running so that your customers will be able to find you and be kept appraised of the situation.
I've heard arguements against using Managed DNS, however most of them were related to increased latency which BTW when measured in milliseconds is undetectable to most people; or directed towards some free third-party services. Not all service providers are alike.
I use Managed DNS for all of my domain names including my hosting company. Although this may discourage many potential customers, it is a small part of planning and preparing for emergencies. So far I haven't heard of any reasons why I shouldn't.
I learned about it last last year when I was running into a chain of unfortunate events with cheap hosting providers. The flexibility and nearly instant propagation saved me from ruin on several occassions, and has increased my ability and willingness to experiment and play around with some of my own domains. In less than a year, I swear by it.
I'm not an expert, but I believe many online enterprises (especially web hosting companies)... and even newbies could really benefit from it.
What are your opinions about Managed DNS? What about experiences with different service providers?
|
