DNS Cache Service

Internet slowness can be the consequence of a slow DNS service

DNS latency is important to measure because it shows how users perceive the responsiveness of the DNS service is. 
Most users won't know it's the DNS that is slow, but it has a direct impact on how they perceive the speed of the internet service in general. 

The DNS Cache service is intended to promote the speed of resolutions by using the storage of records in a memory database and can also use a  long retention memory base (Redis)

The DNS Cache service supports DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-HTTPS which allows DNS clients to encrypt their communication. 
In addition, it supports various modern standards that limit the amount of data exchanged with authoritative servers. 
These standards do not only improve privacy but also help making the DNS more robust.
 The most important are  Query Name Minimisation, the Aggressive Use of DNSSEC-Validated Cache and support for authority zones, which can be used to load a copy of the root zone

IPAM  IP Address Management (IPAM)

Artica, combined with DHCP and DNS Cache service, provides a powerful IP Address Management (IPAM) service.
By integrating DHCP service for dynamic IP allocation and DNS Cache service as a DNS resolver, Artica offers centralized control over IP leases and DNS records. 
This setup allows administrators to monitor, manage, and assign IP addresses efficiently while ensuring seamless DNS resolution across the network — all within a single, unified interface.

SafeSearch

Search engines such as Qwant, Bing; Youtube, DuckDuckGo, Yandex, Pixabay offer a way to impose SafeSearch on all browsers and devices using your network. To do this, the The SafeSearch feature is used, which cannot be overridden at the browser level.

Install / Upgrade

• Install the DNS Cache service
  Artica makes it easy to install and upgrade the DNS Cache service directly from its web console.
  With just a few clicks, administrators can deploy or update the DNS Cache service without needing to access the command line. 
  This streamlined process ensures that your DNS service stays up-to-date, secure, and fully integrated within the Artica environment.

Manage DNS records.

With the DNS cache service, you can create DNS records that will overload your public DNS servers.
The DNS cache service is a very good alternative to a real DNS server.

• Manage DNS records using the Artica Web console
• Manage DNS records with REST API
   
• Wildcard DNS Record
  A wildcard DNS record (e.g. *.domain.tld) is used to catch any subdomain query that isn’t explicitly defined.
   
• Transparent domain
  Used for specific scenarios where you want the DNS service to act as a pass-through resolver for certain domains, forwarding queries to upstream DNS servers without modifying or caching the responses locally
   

Caching 

• High-Performance Caching with in-memory database.
  Traditional caching stores data in memory and consequently loses it when the service is restarted, while an in-memory database keeps cached data on disk.

Security:

• Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC)
  DNSSEC  is a set of security extensions to the DNS protocol that adds cryptographic signatures and authentication to ensure the integrity and authenticity of DNS data.
   
• DNS Rebinding Prevention:
  By default, this option is disabled: it prevents DNS Rebinding Attacks. 
  By preventing external DNS queries that resolve to private IP addresses, you protect your internal network from potential attacks that exploit DNS rebinding vulnerabilities.
   
• DNS Server Cache Snooping prevention:
  DNS Server Cache Snooping is a technique used to reveal which domain names other users or systems have recently queried through a particular DNS resolver. 
   
• Update Policies Zones from an Artica RPZ Service
  Connect your DNS service to an Artica RPZ (Response Policy Zone) Service

Infrastructure:

• eDNS protocol:
  Play with the eDNS option to communicate properly with your remote sites
   
• Dynamic DNS (DDNS) updates:
  Allow your DNS Cache service to receive record updates through a DDNS service 
   
• Centralizing events:
  Through the Artica LogSink product (service entirely available in community mode) you are able to centralize DNS requests from several DNS Cache servers.
   
• Cluster Configuration:
  If you want to use multiple DNS servers with the same configuration, you can use the cluster feature to replicate the settings across multiple DNS servers.
   
• DNS Cache service in failover mode
  A video that shows how to set up two DNS servers and link them in failover mode with Artica
   
• Detach DNS forwarders from the system for foreign domains
  By default, the DNS service uses the DNS servers configured for the system to resolve unknown domains. 
  You can disable this configuration.

Logs

• Store DNS Cache requests in legal logs zone
  By default DNS requests are not saved for a long-term. 
  This option allows you to store DNS Events for a long-time using the Legal Logs method.

Troubleshooting

• DNS Cache keeps sending DNS requests to Internet Root Servers
• The server did not want to forward “*.local” DNS queries