DNS load balancing
Load balancing can start before the TCP handshake.
Application load balancers only see connections that already arrived. DNS is the first chance to split traffic across regions, pools or canaries.
Use weighted records, subnet load balancing and GeoDNS so each resolver gets the intended endpoint. Health checks keep dead pools out of the rotation.
Why teams use Aptranet
How it works with Aptranet
Cloud DNS combines Anycast resolution with traffic steering and health checks. Growth and Business support TTLs as low as one second.
Weighted traffic splits
Send 10% of answers to a new pool, then raise the weight as it proves in.
Subnet load balancing
Finer splits than continent or country when you know the resolver space.
Health-informed rotation
Unhealthy endpoints are removed from eligible answers.
How to set it up
Validate your setup before production changes.
Configure your Cloud DNS zone and verify its records and routing policies. Test answers from the authoritative nameservers before changing your domain delegation.
- 1Identify the pools
Regions, clusters or canary endpoints that can receive traffic.
- 2Set weights or subnets
Start conservatively on a new pool.
- 3Attach health checks
Do not wait for operators to notice a dead pool.
- 4Watch query and origin metrics
Confirm the split matches what you intended, then adjust weights.
Outcomes
What changes once the hostname is on Aptranet.
- Traffic can be split in DNS
- Canaries do not need 50% of answers
- Dead pools can disappear automatically
- Subnet policies support tighter control
Keep reading
Related pages
More DNS use cases on the same Cloud DNS footprint.
Frequently asked questions
No. Resolvers cache answers and represent many users. Use it for coarse splits and region steering, not per-request fairness.
Yes. DNS chooses a pool. The load balancer still spreads connections inside that pool.
Yes. DNS can steer to more than one CDN or origin hostname. Cloud CDN origin groups handle delivery-side failover.
Low enough to change weights on your schedule. Cloud DNS supports a one-second minimum TTL.