Introducing the DNSimple Domain Control Plane
Anthony Eden
on
Updated June 2024
Throughout 2023, the team at DNSimple has been working hard to deliver new features that help you manage your domains and DNS inside and outside our infrastructure. Those releases have culminated in the biggest change we've made in the last ten years, and we can't wait to share it with you.
The complexity of managing zones in multiple clouds and on-premise inspired us to create what we're calling the Domain Control Plane, a single pane of glass where you can see and manage all your domains, DNS, and certificates - wherever they live.
The Domain Control Plane gives developers and system admin unprecedented visibility and control into even the most complex domain portfolios — including resources hosted outside DNSimple's infrastructure. No upselling. No convoluted DNS management across multiple providers. Just a simple, clean interface you'll actually enjoy using. Available now on all plans.
RSVP now for our town hall January 16 at 11AM EST to get an in-depth look at the Domain Control Plane
Let's talk more about how we developed the Domain Control Plane, how you can get set up (like everything DNSimple, it's easy), and the two types of Integrated Providers.
Manage zones on-premise & in the cloud
We've spoken to hundreds of site reliability engineers and application developers about the challenge of managing zones both on-premise and in the cloud. Cloud providers optimize for their cloud, and on-premise servers often are hard to configure and update, lacking user-friendly tools to manage zones.
The Domain Control Plane works by connecting DNSimple via secure APIs to services where your domains and DNS are, then displaying your domains at other providers alongside your DNSimple domains inside DNSimple. Each integration must be connected using service credentials. Once connected, your domains will automatically begin appearing in DNSimple.
It even extends to our API, making it easy to automate your DNS management across multiple providers with the tools you already use with DNSimple — including Terraform, Chef, Kubernetes, and many more.
The Domain Control Plane comprises Integrated Domain Providers and Integrated DNS Providers. You can transfer, renew, and manage domains at GoDaddy, an Integrated Domain Provider, directly from your DNSimple account. For authoritative DNS through Integrated DNS Providers, you can manage zones in AWS Route53, Microsoft Azure, and on-premise CoreDNS systems, all alongside your DNSimple zones. Let's take a closer look at these.
Integrated Domain Providers
Integrated Domain Providers lets you use the Domain Control Plane to manage domains registered with domain providers external to DNSimple.
Available actions for Integrated Domain Providers include:
- Importing integrated domains: Link an Integrated Domain Provider to your DNSimple account, and domains registered with that provider will be imported into DNSimple and listed on the Domains page.
- Viewing and managing integrated domains: View the expiry date, delegation name servers, domain registration contact, and DNSSEC information of your integrated domains in DNSimple. Manage WHOIS Privacy, renewal, and name servers from the DNSimple dashboard.
- Transferring your domain to DNSimple: Read more about transferring your domains.
- Domain expiration notices: Get email notifications when your integrated domains are about to expire.
Integrated DNS Providers
With Integrated DNS Providers, you can synchronize, manage, and view zones that are deployed in DNS providers external to DNSimple. We call the zones in this case integrated zones.
Available actions for Integrated DNS Providers include:
- Importing integrated zones: When you link an Integrated DNS Provider to your DNSimple account, zones hosted on that Integrated DNS Provider will be imported into DNSimple and listed on the Zones page.
- Managing integrated zone records: List, create, update, and delete integrated zone records from DNSimple using the Deployment Editor.
- Syncing integrated zone records: Sync your zone records from the integrated zone to DNSimple, or from DNSimple to the integrated zone, with the Deployment Editor.
The list of supported features and record types differs for each Integrated Provider. Take a look at the provider pages for more information:
Your domains, DNS, and certificates will remain with their respective provider. Manage them inside DNSimple with the option to disconnect them at any time.
Unify your DNS management
The DNSimple Domain Control Plane unifies your domain, DNS, and certificate management in a single dashboard, even if these resources aren't hosted by DNSimple. You'll be able to see where each domain is with easy to understand metadata in your domain list, clarifying the entirety of your domain and DNS portfolio, and making it all manageable through a single unified API and UI. We'll be adding more providers in the future, and we'd love to hear which ones you'd like included — let us know.
Save the date for our town hall with Anthony, our CEO, on January 16, 2024 at 11am EST. He'll give you a detailed look at the Domain Control Plane, and you'll get the opportunity to have an open discussion about it. We'll have more details soon, but in the meantime, you can register to attend here.
The DNSimple team is always innovating to offer exciting new solutions to complex DNS management, whether you're working on a single passion project or managing thousands of domains. If you have any questions or want to talk more about your DNS management or the Domain Control Plane, get in touch — we're always happy to chat.
Not using DNSimple yet? Get a firsthand look at the Domain Control Plane, and experience our incredibly simple, streamlined domain management for yourself, free for 30 days.
Anthony Eden
I break things so Simone continues to have plenty to do. I occasionally have useful ideas, like building a domain and DNS provider that doesn't suck.
We think domain management should be easy.
That's why we continue building DNSimple.
