Creating DNS Zones

Creating DNS zones in Quant is the foundation of domain management. Whether you need basic DNS hosting or want to leverage automatic CDN integration, the zone creation process is streamlined and flexible to meet your specific requirements.

Understanding DNS Zones

A DNS zone represents a portion of the DNS namespace that you want to manage through Quant’s DNS system. When you create a zone, you gain complete control over all DNS records for that domain and can optionally enable advanced features like CDN integration.

Zone Types

• Regular DNS Zones: Standard DNS hosting with full record management capabilities
• CDN-Integrated Zones: Automatic certificate management and traffic routing for CDN projects
• Sub-Zones: Delegated zones for organizing complex domain structures

Creating a New DNS Zone

Access Zone Creation From the DNS Management Dashboard, click “Create New DNS Zone” to begin the zone creation process. The interface guides you through the essential configuration options.

Zone Configuration

Domain Name Enter the fully qualified domain name for your zone. This can be:

• Root Domain: example.com for managing the primary domain
• Subdomain Zone: api.example.com for dedicated subdomain management
• Development Zones: staging.example.com for environment-specific DNS

CDN Integration Option Choose whether to enable CDN integration for this zone:

Standard DNS Zone

• Manual DNS record management
• Full control over all record types and configurations
• Suitable for domains not using Quant CDN services
• Requires manual certificate management if using HTTPS

CDN-Integrated Zone

• Automatic certificate provisioning and renewal
• Automatic DNS record creation when adding domains to CDN projects
• Zero-touch domain management for CDN services
• Simplified HTTPS setup with automatic validation

Tip

Enable CDN integration if you plan to use this domain with Quant CDN services. This eliminates manual DNS configuration and certificate management, making domain deployment significantly faster and more reliable.

Zone Activation Process

Nameserver Configuration After creating your zone, you’ll receive authoritative nameservers that need to be configured at your domain registrar, for example:

ns1.quantcdn.io
ns2.quantcdn.io
ns3.quantcdn.io
ns4.quantcdn.io

Note

These are examples only. Nameservers specific to your DNS zone will be displayed in the Quant Dash.

DNS Propagation

• Update nameservers at your domain registrar
• DNS propagation typically completes within 24-48 hours
• Zone status will update to “Active” once propagation is complete
• Use DNS checker tools to monitor propagation progress

Verification Steps

1. Confirm nameserver changes at your registrar
2. Monitor zone status in the DNS Management Dashboard
3. Test DNS resolution using tools like dig or nslookup
4. Verify all DNS records are resolving correctly

Sub-Zone Creation and Delegation

Creating Sub-Zones Sub-zones provide powerful organization capabilities for complex domain structures:

Automatic Delegation When you create a sub-zone (e.g., api.example.com under example.com):

• NS Records: Automatically created in the parent zone
• Delegation: Proper DNS delegation is configured seamlessly
• Isolation: Sub-zone records are managed independently
• Flexibility: Different teams can manage different sub-zones

Use Cases for Sub-Zones

• Environment Separation: staging.example.com, production.example.com
• Service Isolation: api.example.com, cdn.example.com
• Geographic Organization: us.example.com, eu.example.com
• Team Management: Different teams managing different subdomains

Sub-Zone Benefits

• Organized Management: Clear separation of DNS responsibilities
• Scalable Architecture: Easy to add new services and environments
• Automatic Configuration: NS records and delegation handled automatically
• Independent Control: Sub-zones can have different configurations and permissions

Post-Creation Configuration

Initial DNS Records After zone creation, you may want to add essential DNS records:

• A/AAAA Records: Point your domain to server IP addresses
• CNAME Records: Create subdomain aliases
• MX Records: Configure email routing
• TXT Records: Add verification records for services

CDN Integration Setup For CDN-integrated zones:

1. Zone creation automatically prepares for CDN integration
2. Add domains to your CDN projects through the project interface
3. Automatic certificate provisioning begins immediately
4. DNS records for traffic routing are created automatically

Monitoring and Management

• Zone Health: Monitor zone status and response times
• Record Management: Add, edit, and delete DNS records as needed
• Integration Status: Track CDN integration and certificate status
• Performance Metrics: Review DNS query patterns and response times

:::note Nameserver Propagation Remember that DNS changes can take time to propagate globally. While most changes are visible within minutes, full global propagation can take up to 48 hours. Plan accordingly for critical domain changes. :::

Creating DNS zones in Quant provides a solid foundation for domain management, whether you need basic DNS hosting or want to leverage advanced CDN integration features. The automated delegation and integration capabilities make it easy to scale from simple setups to complex multi-domain architectures.