Simpler, faster, and more secure DNS load balancing
We're excited to announce the general availability of Azure Traffic Manager linked records, a new Azure DNS capability that enables customers to directly associate Azure Public DNS record sets with Azure Traffic Manager profiles without using a CNAME to trafficmanager.net.
With this capability, customers can use Traffic Manager's DNS-based load balancing capabilities without exposing the intermediate trafficmanager.net domain in DNS responses. Azure DNS and Traffic Manager now work together to provide a more seamless, integrated DNS experience for applications running across Azure, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments.
Simplifying DNS-based traffic routing
Traditionally, customers using Azure DNS with Traffic Manager relied on CNAME records that returned a Traffic Manager hostname. DNS clients would then perform an additional lookup to resolve that hostname before reaching the application endpoint.
Traffic Manager linked records simplifies this process by allowing Azure DNS to resolve Traffic Manager routing decisions internally and return the appropriate endpoint information directly to clients.
The result is a cleaner DNS resolution path while preserving all of Traffic Manager's existing routing methods, health monitoring, and failover capabilities.
Key benefits
Better integration between Azure DNS and Azure Traffic Manager
Traffic Manager linked records allow Azure DNS record sets to directly reference Traffic Manager profiles, including nested profile configurations.
This enables sophisticated traffic routing architectures without relying on intermediate CNAME records, making complex global deployments easier to build and manage.
Improved security and DNS hygiene
Because DNS responses no longer expose the intermediate trafficmanager.net domain, organizations can simplify firewall rules and reduce reliance on intermediate DNS names.
Traffic Manager linked records also help eliminate a common source of dangling subdomains caused by orphaned or misconfigured trafficmanager.net records, strengthening overall DNS hygiene and reducing operational risk.
DNSSEC for Traffic Manager
Traffic Manager routing decisions are now resolved within Azure DNS, If the DNS zone is a DNSSEC signed zone the answers supplied by linked Traffic Manager profiles are automatically signed as well. This enables customer to use Traffic Manager profiles with DNSSEC, unlike a CNAME to trafficmanager.net which would break the DNSSEC end to end validation chain as trafficmanager.net is not a signed zone.
Zone apex load balancing
Traffic Manager Linked Records enable DNS-based load balancing directly at the zone apex (for example, contoso.com), where traditional CNAME records are prohibited by DNS standards. Customers can now bring Traffic Manager routing to root domains without complex workarounds. This is similar to ALIAS records but with much better integration and scale.
Cleaner & faster DNS responses
Clients now receive the final endpoint directly from Azure DNS instead of first resolving a trafficmanager.net hostname. By removing an extra DNS lookup, applications can experience lower DNS resolution latency while benefiting from Traffic Manager's intelligent routing decisions.
Built-in operational safeguards with strictly typed profiles
Traffic Manager linked records integrate with strictly typed profiles in Azure Traffic Manager, providing validation that helps ensure DNS record types remain compatible with their associated Traffic Manager profiles. In simpler words, this feature ensures that type of response served by the traffic manager profile matches the type of DNS records it is linked to.
The feature also prevents accidental deletion of Traffic Manager profiles that are still referenced by Azure DNS records, reducing the risk of configuration errors and improving operational safety.
Getting started
Traffic Manager linked records are generally available today.
Following record types can be used with Traffic Manager Linked Records
- A
- AAAA
- CNAME
Traffic Manager linked records are designed to make DNS-based load balancing simpler, faster, and more secure while preserving the flexibility and reliability customers expect from Azure Traffic Manager.
To learn more and start using Traffic Manager linked records today, see the DNS Traffic Management documentation.
Microsoft