High DNS Time

Why am I seeing this diagnostic?

As a webapp developer, you're likely familiar with the concept of DNS (Domain Name System). DNS is essentially a system that translates human-readable domain names (like zipy.ai) into IP addresses that computers understand. When your webapp connects to an API, it needs to resolve the API's domain name to an IP address using DNS.

DNS resolution time refers to the time it takes for the DNS lookup process to complete and return the IP address associated with a domain name.

High DNS resolution times in your app's API calls can be caused by various factors, such as misconfigured DNS settings, DNS server latency or overload, network connectivity issues, DNS caching problems, or a large number of DNS lookups being performed.

When you experience high DNS resolution times, it can have several implications for your webapp:

1. Increased latency: Longer DNS resolution times directly contribute to the overall latency of your API connections. If DNS resolution is slow, it delays the start of the actual data transfer, resulting in slower response times from the API server.

2. Performance impact: If your webapp relies on multiple API connections, each with its own DNS resolution process, the cumulative delay can significantly impact the overall performance and responsiveness of your application.

3. User experience: Slow DNS resolution times can frustrate users who expect quick responses from your webapp. It may give the impression that your application is slow, even if the API response itself is fast.

How do I fix this?

To optimize DNS resolution times and mitigate these issues, consider the following:

1. DNS caching: Implement caching mechanisms in your webapp to store resolved IP addresses locally. This reduces the reliance on DNS resolution for subsequent requests to the same domain, improving performance.

2. DNS resolver selection: Evaluate the DNS resolver being used by your webapp. Sometimes, switching to a faster or more reliable resolver can significantly improve resolution times.

3. Reduce DNS lookups: Minimize the number of DNS lookups your webapp performs. If possible, reuse existing connections or implement connection pooling to reduce the need for frequent DNS resolutions.

4. Monitor and optimize: Continuously monitor and analyze the DNS resolution times of your webapp. Identify patterns, bottlenecks, or issues with specific domains and take appropriate actions to optimize performance.