Using the DNS Server View
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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.
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:
The timeline displays time-series metrics as line graphs and supports overlays, allowing you to compare availability and resolution time, with the option to highlight data from specific agents to compare performance across locations or vantage points.
Availability: The percentage of DNS queries that successfully return a valid response, defined as a non-error response (e.g., not NXDOMAIN, SERVFAIL, or timeout) containing the requested record type (e.g., A, MX).
Resolution Time: The time taken to resolve a DNS query, measured in milliseconds, from sending the query to receiving a valid response, excluding setup time for DoH/DoT (e.g., TLS handshake).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
