Devconf.US

Managing thousands of DNS records in a GitOps fashion using Ansible and NS1
2024-08-14 , Metcalf Small Ballroom (capacity 100)

Managing massive amounts of DNS records and zones can be really daunting, and very prone to mistakes. Even more when a lot of those records and zones are managed by multiple teams at the same time. Writing simple YAML files, storing all data in Git repositories and running through validation pipelines, with a sprinkle of lots of automation, allows you to manage this large amount of data with a very small team, preventing mistakes and allowing them to focus more on the customer needs and partnering with them in their solutions, rather than spending time with repetitive tasks. It also provides great visibility and easier auditing for compliance and governance requirements.

In this session you will learn how Red Hat IT manages and publishes hundreds of zones and thousands of DNS records for all customer-facing services (and community projects) in a GitOps fashion using GitLab and Ansible Automation Platform, all hosted on NS1 (an IBM Company).

See also: Slide deck (1.3 MB)

My career began in Telecommunications, data communications, and radio that involved significant remote work and travel. I developed an independent outlook that prepared well for a career in IT in Australia, working for Red Hat. At Red Hat - career number two, I forged experience in a customer facing role over 6 years supporting customers globally. More recently with Red Hat, as an infrastructure specialist for the last 10 years, with a focus on utilities, including DNS.