Designate is OpenStack’s DNS as a Service component. It provides project-aware DNS management through OpenStack APIs and services, allowing cloud users and automation to create DNS data without being given direct access to an organisation’s authoritative DNS servers.
The service sits between OpenStack clients and configured DNS backends. It works with OpenStack authentication and can integrate with other cloud services so DNS records follow resources created elsewhere in the platform. This makes Designate most useful in multi-tenant private or public clouds where DNS needs to be delegated safely while remaining centrally controlled.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Provides REST APIs for managing zones and recordsets within OpenStack projects.
- Integrates with Keystone for authentication and project-level access control.
- Supports primary and secondary zones, including zone transfers for secondary DNS operation.
- Can import and export zone data and transfer zone ownership between projects.
- Supports shared zones so selected DNS data can be made available across project boundaries.
- Handles reverse DNS workflows, including PTR records associated with cloud resources.
- Integrates with OpenStack networking and compute workflows so DNS records can be created from cloud resource activity.
- Uses configurable pools and backend drivers to connect the service to authoritative DNS infrastructure.
Website: opendev.org/openstack/designate
Support:
Developer: OpenStack
License: Apache License 2.0
Designate is written in Python. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Useful DNS Tools | |
|---|---|
| DNSControl | System for maintaining DNS zones |
| q | Command line DNS client |
| octoDNS | Manage DNS across multiple providers |
| nsupdate.info | Implement a free dynamic DNS service |
| ExternalDNS | Automatically keep Kubernetes resources and their DNS records in sync |
| DNSViz | Visualise DNS and DNSSEC problems at a glance |
| dnsglobe | Check how DNS records propagate around the world |
| DNSDiag | Pinpoint DNS delays and troubleshoot lookup failures |
| DomainMOD | Manage domains and other internet assets in a central location |
| Poweradmin | Web-based DNS administration tool |
| dnsperf | Measure performance of authoritative domain name services |
| ctrld | Configurable DNS forwarding proxy |
| Atomia DNS | Multi-tenant system for handling large amounts of DNS data |
| SPFtoolbox | Look up DNS records |
| Flamethrower | Stress DNS servers with high-volume queries to test performance |
| DNS-collector | Collect, transform and route DNS traffic data for monitoring and analysis |
| Designate | Multi-tenant DNSaaS service for OpenStack |
| Zonemaster-CLI | Put DNS zones through extensive automated checks from a terminal |
| dnsi | Tool to investigate the DNS |
| Digger | Modern DNS lookup tool with a graphical interface |
| dnst | Toolset to assist DNS operators with zone and nameserver maintenance |
| dnspyre | Command-line DNS benchmark tool |
| dns-lexicon | Manage DNS records across providers through a consistent interface |
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