DNS Metrics Monitoring: Performance, Query Analytics & Health | Nife Docs

The DNS Metrics tab tracks the performance and health of DNS resolution for your applications. Monitor query response times, volume, and geographic performance to ensure optimal DNS operations.

Overview#

DNS (Domain Name System) is critical to your application's accessibility. Poor DNS performance directly impacts user experience. The DNS Metrics dashboard helps you understand and optimize your DNS infrastructure.

Getting Started#

Accessing DNS Metrics#

  1. Navigate to Monitoring from the main sidebar
  2. Click the DNS Metrics tab
  3. Select your application from the dropdown

Selecting an Application#

  1. Click the DNS Metrics tab
  2. From the dropdown, select the application you want to monitor
  3. DNS metrics load automatically for the selected application
  4. Metrics update every 5-15 minutes

Understanding DNS Metrics#

DNS metrics help you understand critical performance aspects:

Query Response Times#

Shows: Time taken for DNS servers to respond to queries

Healthy Range: < 100ms

Interpretation:

  • < 50ms: Excellent performance
  • 50-100ms: Good performance
  • 100-500ms: Acceptable but slow

  • 500ms: Poor performance, needs investigation

Query Volume#

Shows: Number of DNS lookups being performed

What It Indicates:

  • Application popularity
  • Traffic growth trends
  • Potential cache issues

Normal Patterns:

  • Peak during business hours
  • Lower during off-hours
  • Seasonal variations possible

Record Types#

Shows: Distribution of different DNS record types

Common Types:

  • A Records: IPv4 address resolution (most common)
  • AAAA Records: IPv6 address resolution
  • CNAME Records: Alias records
  • MX Records: Mail server records
  • TXT Records: Text records (SPF, DKIM, etc.)

Analysis:

  • Identify most queried record types
  • Verify expected record distribution
  • Detect unusual record queries

Geographic Performance#

Shows: DNS resolution speed by region

Use Cases:

  • Identify regions with slow DNS
  • Optimize regional DNS servers
  • Plan infrastructure expansion
  • Detect regional network issues

Performance Indicators#

The DNS Metrics dashboard uses color coding to indicate health:

Status Colors#

  • Green: Healthy response times (< 100ms)

    • Queries resolving quickly
    • No issues detected
    • Optimal performance

  • Yellow: Acceptable but potentially slow (100-500ms)

    • Response times elevated
    • Monitor for trends
    • May impact user experience

  • Red: Slow or problematic (> 500ms)

    • Critical performance issue
    • Immediate action needed
    • Significant user impact likely

Reading Performance Metrics#

Example Healthy Status:

  • Response Time: 45ms ✅
  • Query Volume: 10K/hour (stable)
  • Record Types: Expected distribution
  • Geographic Performance: < 100ms globally

Example Warning Status:

  • Response Time: 250ms ⚠️
  • Query Volume: 50K/hour (increased)
  • Record Types: Unusual patterns
  • Geographic Performance: 200-500ms in some regions

Example Critical Status:

  • Response Time: 1000ms+ ❌
  • Query Volume: Spike detected
  • Record Types: Unexpected queries
  • Geographic Performance: > 500ms in multiple regions

Monitoring DNS Metrics#

Daily Monitoring Routine#

  1. Check Response Times

    • Click DNS Metrics tab
    • Review current response time
    • Compare to historical average

  2. Monitor Query Volume

    • Look for unusual spikes
    • Identify peak times
    • Track growth trends

  3. Verify Record Distribution

    • Ensure expected record types
    • Detect unauthorized records
    • Check for DNS poisoning attempts

  4. Review Geographic Performance

    • Check all regions are performing well
    • Identify slow regions
    • Plan regional optimizations

Analyzing Trends#

Over Time Analysis:

  • Daily averages
  • Weekly patterns
  • Monthly growth
  • Seasonal variations

Comparison:

  • Compare to previous period
  • Benchmark against industry standards
  • Track improvement/degradation

When to Take Action#

Response Time Issues#

If response times increase:

  1. Check DNS provider status page
  2. Review for recent DNS changes
  3. Verify DNS server configuration
  4. Contact DNS provider if issue persists

Steps to Resolve:

  • Switch DNS servers if available
  • Use a faster DNS provider
  • Implement DNS caching
  • Review TTL settings

Query Volume Spikes#

If query volume increases suddenly:

  1. Check for recent marketing campaigns
  2. Verify legitimate traffic increase
  3. Look for DNS amplification attacks
  4. Review application changes

Actions:

  • Increase DNS server capacity
  • Implement query rate limiting
  • Cache frequently queried records
  • Update TTL to reduce queries

Geographic Performance Issues#

If a specific region shows poor performance:

  1. Check regional DNS server status
  2. Verify network connectivity
  3. Consider regional DNS failover
  4. Review CDN configuration

Solutions:

  • Deploy regional DNS servers
  • Use GeoDNS for optimization
  • Implement anycast DNS
  • Use backup DNS providers

Unusual Record Queries#

If unexpected record types appear:

  1. Verify queries are legitimate
  2. Check for DNS hijacking
  3. Review DNS record configuration
  4. Monitor for security threats

Investigation Steps:

  • Review detailed query logs
  • Identify query sources
  • Block suspicious queries
  • Enable DNS security features

DNS Performance Optimization#

Reduce Query Volume#

Strategies:

  1. Increase TTL (Time To Live) values

    • Longer TTL = fewer queries
    • Balance with dynamic needs
    • Recommended: 3600 seconds for static records

  2. Implement DNS caching

    • Cache frequently queried records
    • Reduce backend DNS load
    • Improve response times

  3. Optimize record structure

    • Consolidate records where possible
    • Remove unnecessary records
    • Simplify DNS hierarchy

Improve Response Times#

Optimization Tips:

  1. Use faster DNS provider

    • Compare providers: Cloudflare, AWS Route53, Google DNS
    • Test response times
    • Consider cost vs. performance

  2. Enable DNS security

    • Implement DNSSEC
    • Reduce validation overhead
    • Use dedicated DNS servers

  3. Distribute DNS load

    • Use multiple DNS servers
    • Implement round-robin DNS
    • Load balance across regions

Geographic Optimization#

Regional Performance:

  1. Deploy regional DNS servers
  2. Use GeoDNS for routing
  3. Implement anycast DNS
  4. Optimize for each region

Monitoring Scenarios#

Scenario 1: DNS Becoming Slow#

Situation: DNS response times increasing

Investigation:

  1. Check current response time metric
  2. Review historical trends
  3. Compare to previous day/week
  4. Check geographic performance

Root Causes:

  • DNS server overload
  • Network connectivity issues
  • DNS provider issues
  • Misconfiguration

Resolution:

  1. Contact DNS provider
  2. Switch to backup DNS servers
  3. Increase query timeout values
  4. Implement caching

Scenario 2: Query Volume Spike#

Situation: DNS query volume increases suddenly

Investigation:

  1. Check spike timing
  2. Review application changes
  3. Analyze query types
  4. Check geographic distribution

Possible Causes:

  • Increased traffic
  • DNS caching issues
  • Security attack
  • Application misconfiguration

Actions:

  1. Verify legitimate traffic
  2. Review DNS cache settings
  3. Monitor for attacks
  4. Scale DNS infrastructure

Scenario 3: Regional Performance Issues#

Situation: Slow DNS in specific region

Investigation:

  1. Identify affected region
  2. Check regional DNS server status
  3. Test from that region
  4. Review network connectivity

Solutions:

  1. Deploy regional DNS server
  2. Use regional DNS provider
  3. Implement DNS failover
  4. Optimize for that region

Best Practices#

Daily Monitoring#

  • ✅ Check response times each morning
  • ✅ Monitor query volume trends
  • ✅ Review for unusual activity
  • ✅ Verify geographic performance

Weekly Review#

  • ✅ Analyze response time trends
  • ✅ Review record type distribution
  • ✅ Check for performance degradation
  • ✅ Update TTL if needed

Monthly Analysis#

  • ✅ Comprehensive performance review
  • ✅ Compare month-over-month
  • ✅ Plan capacity expansion
  • ✅ Update DNS configuration

Security Monitoring#

  • ✅ Monitor for DNS poisoning
  • ✅ Review unexpected queries
  • ✅ Enable DNSSEC
  • ✅ Track suspicious patterns

Troubleshooting#

No Metrics Showing#

Problem: DNS metrics not displaying

Solutions:

  1. Ensure application is selected
  2. Verify DNS records are configured
  3. Wait 5+ minutes for data collection
  4. Check application is receiving traffic
  5. Refresh the dashboard

Metrics Seem Inaccurate#

Problem: Response times don't match expectations

Solutions:

  1. Verify DNS configuration
  2. Test DNS manually (nslookup, dig)
  3. Check multiple regions
  4. Compare with DNS provider metrics
  5. Contact support if persistent

Geographic Data Missing#

Problem: Some regions not showing data

Solutions:

  1. Ensure traffic from that region
  2. Check DNS server status
  3. Verify DNS resolution in region
  4. Review firewall rules
  5. Test from region manually

Limits & Considerations#

ItemLimit
Historical DataLast 7 days rolling window
Update FrequencyEvery 5-15 minutes
Response Time Accuracy±10ms
Regions TrackedGlobally distributed
Record TypesAll standard DNS record types
Query Volume LimitUnlimited tracking

Related Documentation#