Can a Domain Have Multiple Name Servers?

Specify multiple name servers for a domain name to achieve redundancy.

An Internet domain can be supported by more than one Domain Name Service (DNS) server. DNS servers, also referred to as "name servers," translate requests for computer host names (such as those of Web and email servers) into numeric Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Using multiple name servers improves the likelihood that at least one server will be available to answer lookup requests.

Configuring

DNS servers, or name servers, are configured on the domain name registrar's website. The registrar is the company that the domain name is registered with. The exact steps to specify the server names will vary by registrar. There will usually be space to enter at least two different name server addresses. Redundancy and load balancing are automatically achieved by configuring multiple DNS servers.

Redundancy

Redundancy is achieved when at least two different DNS servers are specified for a domain name. This means that if one server is not available, the domain will still function because the other server(s) handle the DNS requests.

Load Balancing

Load balancing is useful for domain names that receive a large number of requests. It allows the requests to be spread over multiple DNS servers, so that a single server does not become overwhelmed. This type of load balancing is different than web server load balancing, which is a special type of DNS configuration that ensures a single web server does not become overloaded.

References

• The TCP/IP Guide: DNS Name Server Load Balancing