Do you know What Is AWS Route 53 Used For and what function Amazon Web Services AWS Route 53 provides you? If you don’t then fret not, read AWS Route 53 Tutorial article to know all about the service.
A little over three decades ago, the first website application was launched in the Internet’s infancy. Little did anyone know the impact it was about to have on the world’s future.
Creating, hosting, launching, maintaining, and directing a website was an arduous task. Multiple members teams used to work on them, and now services like AWS Route 53 are alone enough to do that.
What Is AWS Route 53 Used For?
Why is it called Route 53?
AWS Route 53 is a web service provided by Amazon Web Services, commonly known by its abbreviation AWS. It is one of the 175 plus services offered by the AWS project from the Amazon company.
In essence, it is a domain name system (DNS). It can also register domains for you and help maintain them as well.
They translate website domain names such as www.amazon.com to number-based IP addresses like 101.123.009. You can find all the website information stored on these IP addresses.
Explaining DNS Service
The internet we use comprises two key components: the domain name of the website, and its numeric value IP address where domain information is stored and maintained.
A DNS which stands for Domain Name Service connects both of them so we can use the internet as we know it.
What Tasks Does A DNS Service Provide?
An internet DNS works similarly to how a mobile phone and its lines do. You dial a number, and suddenly you can talk to a real human being.
DNS service does the same job, but its process is the exact opposite as you type a name, and through a number (IP Address), we can visit that website.
The job of AWS Route 53
The job of AWS Route 53 is to register a domain name, route you to that domain, and perform health checks and maintenance on it to ensure it works properly and efficiently.
How is AWS Route 53 The Best DNS Service?
AWS is highly regarded as the best DNS service because it can scale its operation automatically to handle the load your domain is facing.
It automatically solves administrative tasks for you, so you don’t have to do them manually. Plus, it is reliable, easy to use, and highly convenient; hence, it is considered one of the best services.
Route 53 Routing Policies?
Route 53 gives us the option to route our traffic in a lot of different ways. Let us try to look into all those routing processes.
- Failover Routing – This routing is used to route traffic to a hosted zone in case the primary zone fails.
- Simple Routing – This is used for simply routing the traffic to a hosted zone without any constraints.
- Weighted Routing – This policy is used when you want to distribute the traffic between hosted zone. Suppose you have 3 zones so in the weighted policy you will distribute traffic like 40:30:30 across zones.
- Latency Routing – In this routing policy the system checks for the latency across different hosted zones and sends the traffic from where the response is the fastest.
- Geolocation Routing – In this location is used to route traffic based on the geographic location of a user.
- Multivalue Answer Routing – Here we specify multiple values in the routing policy and Route 53 is smart enough to return the one which is healthy.
- Geoproximity Routing – This routing policy is used based on your resource location to route the traffic irrespective of the resource location.
What Functions Route 53 Performs?
Now you know what AWS Route 53 is, its usage, and why it is so highly rated. So, now we would like to focus on the functions it performs, and according to us following are the different functions it performs.
1. Registers The Domain Name of The Website
Every website needs a domain to be accessible, and AWS Route 53 performs this task for you as it registers the domain name of your website.
Whatever you want your website to be called, it can search that domain for you, and if it is free and available, it will register it for you.
2. Connects Browser With The Website When User Enters Domain Name
The second significant function that AWS Route 53 performs is the bridge between the website routing process and the user.
When you type the name of the website you want to visit on your web browser, this service takes you to the website home page by figuring out all the technical details.
3. Responsible For Resources Health Checks
Another function of AWS Route 53 is that it keeps a health check on the web domain, IP address, request, and everything in between to ensure your website, hosting, and performance are performing according to your expectations.
4. Repairs Damage Resources
If any part of your web experience is not functioning properly, it is also the responsibility of the AWS Route 53 service to fix it so that you can enjoy a seamless internet browsing experience.
5. Auto Routes User To Another Server
The last function AWS Route 53 performs is to create and divert your domain to different server routers if the original server fails.
It creates backups and transfers you instantly, so your web browsing experience doesn’t suffer.
Benefits of Using AWS Route 53
We believe the following are the best benefits a user gain by using AWS Route 53 service:
1. Utmost Reliable Service
AWS Route 53 provides you with an unrivaled service in the industry.
They are synonymous with excellence; hence, they share the largest market share in their service category, which is why most application developers prefer them.
2. Responsible For Automatic Scaling
A significant benefit of using AWS Route 53 is that it takes care of routine to decisive administrative tasks on its own.
So you don’t have to worry about them. It escalates and deescalates your business according to the traffic, request, and needs, so the operation runs smoothly without any glitches.
3. Convenient To Use
One of the biggest benefits of using AWS Route 53 is its convenience.
From speed to problem-solving, redirection, management, to everything in between, this service provides conveniences that you have never experienced before.
4. Ideal Low-Budget Option
For application developers, the service’s budget is a big deal as it directly cuts through their goal if it is too expensive.
However, this isn’t the case with AWS Route 53, as it is the ideal low-budget option in its category.
5. Unrivaled Security
Amazon Web Services cover the security of every aspect of AWS Route 53.
Therefore, you can trust it with your eyes closed and relax while using it to build, maintain or repair your website, as it is guaranteed the most secure safety with no chances of compromise.
Limitations of AWS Route 53
AWS Route 53 is the market leader in its category, yet, we believe it isn’t the perfect service. Hence, along with its benefits, we will highlight some of their limitations to you:
1. Redirection of Server Routing Could Be Faster
Some users feel that the redirection of server routing could be faster than sometimes this service can take a while to complete the task, and in 2022, people have a short attention span.
2. Not Beginner Friendly Needs Time To Get Used To
If a user is new to the AWS services interface, picking up on this service can be challenging. Thus, some users have explained that it is not beginner-friendly and can take some time to get used to.
3. Lack of Shortcuts For Simple Tasks
A lot of the immediate task users want to perform while using the service does not have shortcuts like some of its competitors do.
This results in more time being spent while using it as you have to do every command manually without any shortcut.
5 Key Features of AWS Route 53
AWS Route 53 also provides you with the following key features that have made them one of the most sought-after services from Amazon Web Services:
1. Maintains Seamless Traffic Flow on Your Application
Whether requests on your application traffic are in millions or billions, AWS Route 53 has the excellent ability to maintain seamless AWS Route 53 traffic flow on your application.
2. Provides Convenient Domain Registration & Maintenance
AWS Route 53 is the most convenient service from which you can not only get the domain of your choice registered, but you can use its other services and maintain it simultaneously.
3. Responsible For Performance & Health of Applications
Health checks of your application and its procedures are regularly performed by AWS Route 53, and if there are any discrepancies, it provides a solution for it immediately.
4. Balances Web Traffic Adequately For Applications
When traffic is heavy, your servers can crash, but AWS Route 53 distributes web traffic so that the flow is balanced and the best performance is always ensured.
5. Ability To Geo Route Applications
The final key feature we believe AWS Route 53 has as it can geo route your application.
Companies For Whom AWS Route 53 is Ideal
Following are the companies who prove that AWS Route 53 service has been an astounding success as they use it for their web presence.
| Companies That Use AWS Route 53 Service |
|---|
| Instacart |
| Coursera |
| Airbnb |
Core benefits AWS Route 53 serves you?
| Core Benefits AWS Route 53 Can Serve You |
| Domain Registration |
| Server & Domain Bridge |
| Ability To Perform Health Checks & Maintenance |
AWS Route 53 security best practices?
So, now the question is best practice for Route 53.
- Make sure to set the Time To Live parameter so that in case of any change it will be quickly updated for the users.
- Use CNAME where you can afford some latency but use A Records for a faster response.
- Change propagation sometimes takes time to take place so keep that in mind and set the TTL.
- For better user experience use latency-based routing, and also set a default record for user experience.
- When you use geoproximity or geolocation make sure to keep a default record in place.
What Is AWS Route 53 FAQs
The following are the most FAQs of AWS Route 53:
Q: What Is The Primary Job Of AWS Route 53?
The primary job of AWS Route 53 is to register you a domain name, route you to that domain, and perform health checks and maintenance on it to ensure it works properly.
Q: How Much Does AWS Route 53 Cost?
AWS Route 53 does not have a fixed bill or a commitment length to its service. Like other AWS services, you pay for what you use here.
However, if you want to know the exact details on potential usage, you can visit this link to find out. https://aws.amazon.com/route53/pricing/
Q: Regions In Which AWS Route 53 Is Available?
AWS Route 53 is available in 22 regions. For details, visit this link. https://docs.aws.amazon.com/general/latest/gr/r53.html
Q: Is There A Service Agreement If I Want To Use The High-End AWS Route 53 Service?
Yes, you have to sign a service agreement to use the high-end AWS Route 53 service. For details, visit here. https://aws.amazon.com/route53/sla/
Q: How Secure Is AWS Route 53 Service?
AWS Route 53 security is guaranteed under the umbrella of Amazon Web Services; hence you can relax as it is highly safe and secure.
Q: Do I Have To Route Resources In AWS Route 53 Manually?
No, if you are using the service of AWS Route 53, you don’t need to worry about administrative tasks as it automatically takes care of them.
Q: Is AWS Route 53 Worth It?
The amount of benefit AWS Route provides you for what even its premium version costs, according to us, is worth it.
Q: AWS Route 53 routing policy?
Routing Policy is used to route the traffic between different hosted zones. We have multiple routing policies like simple routing, latency routing, geolocation, and many more.
Q: What Is AWS Route 53 resolver?
This is basically used for resolving domain names in VPC. There are two kinds of resolvers one is for inbound traffic and the other is for outbound traffic.
As the name suggests inbound resolved the inbound traffic to the VPC where as outbound resolver resolved the traffic going out of the VPC.
Q: AWS route 53 record types?
Record types are used to route traffic to different IP’s.
There are CNAME, A Record, and A Record, and the list is pretty long for the record typed the Route 53 supports.
Q: route 53 can be used to route users to infrastructure outside of AWS?
The answer is YES, it can route traffic to resources in AWS like EC2, S3 buckets, and more but it can also route traffic to resources outside of the AWS environment.
Wrapping Up
AWS Route 53 is a fantastic service by Amazon Web Services; hence, we have defined it in AWS Route 53 Blog detail covering all angles of it in this article.
Go through it and let us know what you think about the service. Is it the best in its category, or do you know someone better? We are looking forward to your response.
You may also like to read below AWS blogs.
- What Is AWS Data Pipeline
- What Is AWS EventBridge
- AWS Server Migration Service
- AWS Elastic Load Balancer
Happy Clouding!
I am an Amazon Web Services Professional, having more than 11 years of experience in AWS and other technologies. Extensively working in various AWS tools like S3, Lambda, API, Kinesis, Load Balancers, EKS, ECS, and many more. Working as a Solution Architect and Technology Lead for Architecting and implementing the same for different clients. He provides expert solutions around the world and especially in countries like the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Check out the complete profile on About us.
