Using the DNS Server View
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This video shows how to read DNS Server view panels and metrics.
The DNS Server view presents metrics from DNS Server tests to assess DNS server performance, identify issues like slow resolution or errors, and ensure reliable DNS services critical for application accessibility. It supports troubleshooting by correlating DNS metrics with network or application data, visualized across multiple tabs.
For more information about views, see Getting Started with Views. For more information about DNS tests, see Tests: DNS Layer.
Example of the DNS Server View
To access the DNS Server view, navigate to Network & App Synthetics > Views, select a DNS Server Test from the Current Test dropdown, and choose the DNS Server layer in the timeline (this is the default for DNS Server tests).
The example below shows the results for a DNS server test configured for thousandeyes.com:
Metrics for DNS Server Tests
Metrics Plottable on the Timeline for DNS Server Tests
The timeline displays availability and resolution time as line graphs. You can add overlays and highlight data from specific agents to compare performance across locations or vantage points. For metric definitions and calculation details, see DNS Server test metrics.
Overlays for DNS Server Tests
Overlays facilitate comparative analysis by visualizing how availability and resolution time trend over time, with the ability to highlight specific agents to identify regional or agent-specific issues. Highlighting specific agents isolates performance variations, aiding in pinpointing regional or agent-specific problems.
Two overlays are available to enrich the DNS Server timeline view, Agents and Servers.
Adding Agents to the Timeline
To add agents to the timeline, first select the Agents overlay option. Then click the checkbox to the right of each agent you want to display on the timeline.
Adding Servers to the Timeline
To add servers to the timeline, first select the Servers overlay option. Then click the checkbox to the right of each server you want to display on the timeline.
You can also add servers to the overlay from the servers listed under the Table tab.
View Details for DNS Server Tests
Timeline for DNS Server Tests
To change the selected metric displayed in the timeline, use the metrics selector menu. Hovering over the name of the metric displays a label with the text Set as selected metric.
Select multiple metrics by clicking the checkbox next to the name of the metric listed in the selector menu.
The selected metrics will appear in the timeline.
Metrics that cannot be compared in this view are labeled Unable to compare with this metric.
Map for DNS Server View
The map displays the average availability and resolution time from every listed nameserver and agent location. This is the default tab selected when you first access the DNS server view.
Table View for DNS Server Tests
The table summarizes metrics for each agent running the DNS Server test, showing data for the most recent test round or a selected time range. Each row represents an agent and DNS server pair, with columns for each metric. You can sort the table by clicking the table header. You can click column headers to sort by a metric to quickly identify outliers.
To filter on a specific DNS server, you can either select Filter by this from the ellipsis menu shown at the end of the row (shown above), or you can select the server from the Servers menu at the top of the screen. You can also filter on specific agents by selecting them from the Agents menu at the top of the screen, next to the Servers menu.
To add an agent from this list to the timeline overlay, select "Add to timeline overlays". For more information about using the timeline overlays, see the Timeline Overlays section in this document.
Grouping by agent or server aggregates data in the table. When aggregated by DNS server, average metrics are shown across all agents querying that server. This is useful for assessing server-specific performance. When aggregating by agent, metrics are shown across all servers queried by that agent. This is ideal for geographic or network-specific analysis.
Multiple Test Selection for DNS Server Tests
The DNS Server layer supports multi-test selection, allowing you to compare up to 10 related DNS Server tests together in the same view. This enables you to better understand performance and responses throughout your distributed DNS architecture.
When multiple tests are selected, the table additionally shows test name and record columns at the beginning of the row. For more information about selecting multiple tests, see Multi-Service Views.
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