How to Register a DNS Domain on AWS Route 53: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Registering a DNS domain on AWS is a straightforward process thanks to AWS Route 53, a scalable Domain Name System (DNS) web service. In this blog, we'll walk you through the steps to register a domain and configure basic settings using Route 53.

Step 1: Sign in to AWS Management Console

1. Open the AWS Management Console at https://aws.amazon.com/console/.
2. Sign in using your AWS credentials.

Step 2: Access Route 53

1. In the AWS Management Console, search for "Route 53" in the search bar.
2. Click on "Route 53" to open the Route 53 dashboard.

Step 3: Register a Domain

1. In the Route 53 dashboard, click on "Registered domains" in the left-hand menu.
2. Click the "Register Domain" button.

Step 4: Choose a Domain Name

1. Enter your desired domain name in the "Domain name" field.
2. Select the domain extension (e.g., .com, .net) from the dropdown list.
3. Click "Check" to see if the domain is available.

Step 5: Fill in Domain Registration Details

1. If the domain is available, click "Add to cart" and then click "Continue."
2. Enter the required contact information for the domain registration. This includes registrant, administrative, and technical contact details.
3. Choose the privacy protection option if you wish to keep your contact details private.

Step 6: Configure DNS Settings

1. Route 53 will ask you to configure DNS settings. If you plan to use Route 53's DNS service, you can skip this step for now.
2. Review and confirm your order.

Step 7: Confirm and Complete Registration

1. Review the registration details and click "Add record set" if needed.
2. Confirm the registration and proceed with payment.

Step 8: Verify Your Domain

1. AWS Route 53 will send a verification email to the registrant's email address.
2. Follow the instructions in the email to verify your domain registration.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've successfully registered a DNS domain on AWS Route 53. You can now use Route 53 to manage your DNS records, configure routing policies, and more.

Connecting Your Domain to an Elastic Load Balancer (ELB) on AWS: A Complete Tutorial

Introduction

Once you have registered your domain with AWS Route 53, connecting it to an Elastic Load Balancer (ELB) allows you to distribute incoming application traffic across multiple targets, such as EC2 instances. This blog will guide you through the steps to associate your domain with an ELB using Route 53.

Step 1: Set Up Your ELB

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console.
2. Search for "EC2" in the search bar and select "EC2."
3. In the EC2 dashboard, click on "Load Balancers" in the left-hand menu.
4. Click the "Create Load Balancer" button and follow the wizard to configure your ELB. This includes selecting the type of load balancer, configuring listeners, and registering targets.

Step 2: Obtain the ELB DNS Name

1. Once your ELB is created, select it from the list of load balancers.
2. In the "Description" tab, find the "DNS Name" field. This DNS name will be used to route traffic from your domain to the ELB.

Step 3: Access Route 53

1. Return to the AWS Management Console and navigate to Route 53.

Step 4: Create a Hosted Zone

1. In Route 53, click on "Hosted zones" in the left-hand menu.
2. Click "Create hosted zone."
3. Enter your domain name and select "Public hosted zone."
4. Click "Create."

Step 5: Create a Record Set

1. In the hosted zone dashboard, click "Create record set."
2. For the "Name" field, enter the subdomain you want to use (e.g., www).
3. Set the "Type" to "A – IPv4 address."
4. Select "Alias" and then choose "Alias to Application and Classic Load Balancer."
5. In the "Alias Target" field, select your ELB from the dropdown menu.
6. Click "Create" to save the record set.

Step 6: Update Domain’s Name Servers

1. If you registered your domain through Route 53, the name servers should be automatically updated.
2. If your domain is registered with a different registrar, log in to that registrar’s dashboard and update the domain’s name servers to point to the Route 53 name servers listed in your hosted zone.

Step 7: Test Your Configuration

1. Allow some time for DNS propagation, which may take a few minutes to 48 hours.
2. Visit your domain in a web browser to ensure it routes correctly through your ELB.

Conclusion

You’ve now connected your domain to an Elastic Load Balancer using AWS Route 53. This setup ensures that your application can handle traffic efficiently and remain highly available. If you encounter any issues, double-check your DNS settings and ensure that the ELB is correctly configured.