Designate: An OverviewGraham Hayes / HPKiall Mac Innes / HPTim Simmons / Rackspace

HP NAMES ETC

Tim SimmonsSoftware Developer - Rackspace Cloud DNStim.simmons@rackspace.comtimsim @ irc.freenode.net

Agenda

Overview of DesignateOur API and Client LibrariesHow we work with DNS ServersDesignate Sink and Nova/Neutron

What is Designate?

What is Designate?

● “OpenStack Style” REST API for managing DNS● Architecture is similar to Nova/Trove/etc - We’re not a

DNS server, we just manage them● Support for two deployment models:

○ On Premise - You manage and maintain the DNS servers

○ 3rd Party - Support for pushing zones to Akamai or DynECT

Why use Designate?

● DNS isn’t cool - It’s like plumbing, nobody notices when it works and gets horribly upset when it breaks

● DNS is essential to nearly every app running on top of OpenStack, really, it is!

● Why give users the power to `nova boot`, only to leave them high and dry filing a IT support ticket for a DNS entry? We can do better!

API and Client Libraries

Ways to interact with Designate

● REST API - Directly● Command Line Client● Python Bindings

APIs

● v1 - Now deprecated● v2 - Marked as stable● admin - General tools

How we work with DNS Servers

There are a lot of ways to run DNS

PowerDNS

Knot

Master-SlaveMicrosoft DNS

Multi-Master

BIND9

NSD

djbdns

Secondary

Primary

Denominator

AkamaiDynECT

Master-Slave-Cache

Multi-Region

Infoblox

That old DNS system you have

How we work with DNS Servers

FlexibleScalableSimple

MiniDNS

A very minimal DNS server, backed by Designate’s databaseUtilizes DNS Protocol (NOTIFY, AXFR)Acts as a ‘Master’*Horizontally scalableDesignate in control

*Most of the time

Pool Manager Backends

Updating is easyCreating and Deleting can be oddAllows complete customization of the create/delete processMechanisms for keeping DNS eventually consistent

MiniDNS

The Agent

OptionalTalks with MiniDNS using DNS protocolWrite plugins for complete controlGet all the Designate goodness, regardless of DNS server

AgentNOTIFY/AXFRMiniDNS Managed

DNS ServersMiniDNS

*Secondary Zones

MiniDNS/Designate can act as a slaveIf you want to manage your own DNS, and let Designate distribute to its managed DNS servers

Your DNS Server MiniDNS

NOTIFY/AXFR Managed DNS Servers

NOTIFY/AXFR

Designate Sink and Nova/Neutron

Designate Sink

CentralSink DB

Pool Manager

Mini DNS

Customer Facing DNS

Servers

Backend

Nova /Neutron

Designate Sink and Notification Handlers

● Designate Sink consumes notification events from:○ Nova○ Neutron○ Any other service which emits events

● Designate Sink turns events into DNS operations.● What events and what DNS operations are performed are determined by custom notification

handlers, two basic samples are provided:○ nova_fixed○ neutron_floatingip

● Sink is pluggable - The intent is for organisations to write a plugin that reflects their specific use case.

We are hiring (both HP and Rackspace - come

talk to us if you are interested)