Configuring Route 53 for Domain Name Management

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will:

1. Understand how Amazon Route 53 helps manage domain names.
2. Learn to register a domain or use an existing one with Route 53.
3. Configure DNS settings to connect a domain to an AWS resource (e.g., CloudFront distribution).
4. Validate and test the domain name configuration.

Introduction: Simplifying Domain Management

Imagine building a great website, only to have users access it via a complex URL like d2abcdefg.cloudfront.net. With Amazon Route 53, AWS’s Domain Name System (DNS) web service, you can map human-readable domain names (e.g., www.mysite.com) to your AWS resources.

In this chapter, we’ll guide you through registering or transferring a domain to Route 53, setting up DNS records, and linking your domain to an AWS resource like a CloudFront distribution.

What is Route 53?

Amazon Route 53 is a scalable DNS web service that connects user requests to AWS resources like CloudFront distributions, S3 buckets, or EC2 instances.

Key Features:

1. Domain Registration: Register new domains directly in Route 53.
2. DNS Management: Create DNS records like A, CNAME, and MX.
3. Health Checks: Monitor the availability of resources and route traffic to healthy endpoints.
4. Traffic Routing: Use policies like latency-based, weighted, or failover routing.

Step-by-Step Deployment

Part 1: Register or Transfer a Domain

1. Log in to AWS:
   • Open the AWS Management Console and search for Route 53.
2. Register a New Domain:
   • Navigate to Domains > Register Domain.
   • Search for your desired domain name (e.g., mysiteexample.com).
   • Follow the prompts to complete registration.
   • It may take a few minutes to complete the process.
3. Transfer an Existing Domain (Optional):
   • Navigate to Domains > Transfer Domain.
   • Provide the domain name and follow the instructions to verify ownership.

Part 2: Create a Hosted Zone

1. What is a Hosted Zone?
   • A hosted zone is a container for DNS records associated with a domain.
2. Create a Hosted Zone:
   • In the Route 53 dashboard, click Hosted Zones > Create Hosted Zone.
   • Enter your domain name (e.g., mysiteexample.com).
   • Choose Public Hosted Zone.
   • Click Create Hosted Zone.
3. Get Name Server (NS) Details:
   • Note the Name Server (NS) values listed in the hosted zone.
   • If your domain is registered outside AWS, update the NS records with your registrar to point to Route 53.

Part 3: Configure DNS Records

1. Add an A Record for CloudFront:
   • Go to the Hosted Zone for your domain.
   • Click Create Record.
   • Choose Record Type: A (Alias).
   • In Alias Target, select your CloudFront distribution.
   • Click Create Record.
2. Optional: Add a CNAME Record for Subdomains:
   • If you want to map a subdomain like blog.mysiteexample.com:
     • Choose Record Type: CNAME.
     • Enter the subdomain (blog.mysiteexample.com).
     • Point it to the CloudFront distribution or another AWS resource.
3. Enable HTTPS (SSL/TLS):
   • Use AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) to request a free SSL certificate for your domain.
   • Attach the certificate to your CloudFront distribution in the CloudFront settings.

Part 4: Test Your Configuration

1. Check DNS Propagation:
   • Use tools like DNS Checker to verify that your domain points to the correct CloudFront distribution.
   • This may take up to 24-48 hours due to DNS propagation.
2. Verify Website Accessibility:
   • Open your domain in a browser (e.g., www.mysiteexample.com).
   • Ensure the website loads correctly over HTTPS.

Advanced Configurations

1. Traffic Routing Policies:
   • Use Latency-Based Routing to direct users to the closest AWS Region.
   • Implement Weighted Routing to distribute traffic across multiple resources.
2. Health Checks:
   • Create health checks to monitor the availability of backend resources.
   • Automatically reroute traffic if a resource becomes unavailable.
3. Custom DNS Records:
   • Add MX records for email hosting or TXT records for domain verification.

Reflection: Why Use Route 53?

1. Simplified Management: Route 53 centralizes DNS management for all your AWS resources.
2. Global Reach: Highly available and scalable, ensuring low-latency DNS resolution.
3. Integration: Seamlessly integrates with AWS services like S3, CloudFront, and Elastic Load Balancer.

In this lesson, you configured Route 53 to map a custom domain to an AWS resource. This enhances the professionalism and accessibility of your website.

What’s Next?

In the next chapter, we’ll explore how to Deploy a Dynamic Web Application using EC2, RDS, and other AWS services for a more complex architecture.

Your domain management skills are set—let’s build more!