Best Practices for Azure Private DNS Zones

Question

In Azure, what is the recommended approach for managing private DNS zones? Should a single private DNS zone be used for all services, like private endpoints and storage, or is it better to create a custom DNS zone, such as azure.contoso.com? Specifically, should separate DNS zones be used for each service, such as storage and SQL private links, or can they be placed within a single custom DNS zone?

For example, how should the DNS zone be structured for services like privatelink.database.windows.net?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi ares,

Greetings,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A Platform. Thank you for reaching out & I hope you are doing well.

When managing private DNS zones in Azure, the best approach depends on your organization's architecture, scalability needs, and management preferences. Here are some recommended practices:

Single Private DNS Zone:

• Simplifies management by consolidating all DNS records in one place.
• Easier to maintain and update DNS records.

Multiple Private DNS Zones:

• Better organization by separating services (e.g., storage, SQL, etc.).
• Reduces the risk of naming conflicts and improves clarity.
• Allows for different access controls and policies for each service.

IMP: For each PAAS Services separate DNS Zone should be used.

1. Custom DNS Zone Naming:
   • Using a custom DNS zone like azure.contoso.com is a good practice as it provides a clear namespace for your Azure resources.
   • This approach allows you to create subdomains for different services, such as:
   • storage.azure.contoso.com
   • sql.azure.contoso.com
   • This structure helps in organizing resources logically and can improve security by allowing you to apply specific policies to each subdomain.

Refer: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/private-link/private-endpoint-dns

DNS Zones for Services:

• For services like privatelink.database.windows.net, you can create a custom DNS zone specifically for your database services:
  • Example Structure:
    • DNS Zone: database.azure.contoso.com
      • Records:
        • sql1.database.azure.contoso.com (for SQL Database private endpoint).

Refer: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/dns/dns-for-azure-services

NOTE: whether to use a single private DNS zone or multiple zones depends on your specific use case, the number of services, and your management preferences. For most scenarios, creating a custom DNS zone (like azure.contoso.com) and organizing services into subdomains is a recommended approach. This method provides clarity, reduces the risk of conflicts, and allows for better management of DNS records.

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Hope this clarifies.

Thanks,

Ganesh

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