Exam Essentials – Domain Name Services – ANS-C01 Study Guide

Exam Essentials

Know the DNS resolution steps. Understand the resolution steps that DNS takes to resolve a URL that a user types in a browser to resolve the DNS name to an IP address.

Know what a zone is. A zone is a subset of your domain records that contains your DNS records such as the A record, which is an IPv4 address, an MX record for Mail, a TXT record for basic information about the domain, and many others. Familiarize yourself with the record types given in this chapter with a special focus on the Alias record.

Know in detail the DNS hierarchies and what they represent. Understand the various server types such as root, top-level, and domain servers and the role of the resolver.

Understand the Route 53 DNS extensions that go beyond basic DNS name resolution services. You must know these in detail for the exam. These include traffic policies and service integrations with other AWS services. Understand the logging and security aspects of the service.

Know what internal and public zones are and when to use each one. Internal zones provide name resolution inside of a VPC, and public zones are Internet-facing.

Understand the interconnection with Route 53 to your internal DNS system in a hybrid configuration. Take the time to watch videos and read the internal AWS documentation that goes into detail on how this operates and how to set it up.

Know that Route 53 is a domain registrar. Understand the steps required to transfer or register a domain name for your use.

Exercises

Setting up Route 53 requires the use of a registered domain. This will incur charges for you to get hands-on with the service. While it is encouraged to do so, if you do not want to be billed, then reviewing the documentation is recommended.

  1. Read the DNS and Route 53 overview to understand basic DNS operation and the resolution process: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/welcome-dns-service.html.
  2. Read the documents under Route 53 best practices: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/best-practices.html.
  3. Read the documentation on the Route 53 health-checking process: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/welcome-health-checks.html.
  4. Become familiar with the Route 53 DNS firewall: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/resolver-dns-.
  5. Know the different routing policies and how they are used: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/routing-policy.html.
  6. Read the overview of Route 53 integrations with other AWS services: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/integration-with-other-services.html.
  7. In the AWS management console, navigate the Transit Gateway documentation and become familiar with its functions and use cases. See https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/networking-and-content-delivery/centralized-dns-management-of-hybrid-cloud-with-amazon-route-53-and-aws-transit-gateway.
  8. Read and have a basic understanding of DNSSEC and how it is implemented in Route 53: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/domain-configure-dnssec.html.
  9. Read the short document on domain registration: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/Route53/latest/DeveloperGuide/welcome-domain-registration.html.