Understanding how to set this up is integral for managing and integrating your applications and services on the Azure platform effectively. In this post, we will delve into what custom domain names are, why they are necessary, and how to configure them in the Azure portal.
Understanding Custom Domain Names
Custom domain names are essentially your own brand-name URL that you attach to your Azure services to give them a more professional or personalized appearance. For instance, instead of having your web app located at http://yourapp.azurewebsites.net
, you could use http://yourapp.yourdomain.com
or any other domain you own. This allows users to easily remember and access your web application or website.
In Azure, the custom domains feature enables you to personalize your web app’s domain name to meet your business needs. This helps improve identity branding and build customer trust.
How To Configure Custom Domain Names
Implementing custom domain names in Azure involves a few key steps:
- Verification of Domain Ownership: Verification is crucial for securing your domain and preventing others from claiming it. Azure uses the DNS TXT record to verify domain ownership.
- Adding a Custom Domain to an App Service: After verification, you can add your domain to the Azure App Service.
- SSL Certificates & HTTPS Binding: Lastly, for secure encrypted communication, setup of SSL certificates and HTTPS binding is essential.
Now, let’s look at how to perform each of these steps in detail:
Verification of Domain Ownership
For Azure to recognize that you own your domain:
- Go to the Azure portal.
- Navigate to your ‘App Service’ page.
- In the left menu under ‘Settings’, select ‘Custom Domains’.
- Click ‘Add Custom Domain’.
- Enter your domain name.
- Click ‘Validate’. The ‘Add Custom Domain’ page will present validation token details.
- Add these validation token details to your DNS registrar.
Adding a Custom Domain to an App Service
After your domain is verified, you can add it to your App Service:
- Return to the ‘Add Custom Domain’ page on the Azure portal.
- Click ‘Add Custom Domain’.
- Enter your domain name.
- Your domain will be added and propagated through Azure’s DNS system.
SSL Certificates & HTTPS Binding
To secure your web app:
- Navigate to your ‘App Service’ page.
- In the left menu under ‘Settings’, click ‘TLS/SSL settings’.
- Add an SSL binding for your custom domain and selected SSL certificate.
Conclusion
Thus, custom domain names configuration on Microsoft Azure not only portrays your brand but also maintains customer trust by ensuring a secure connection. Proper understanding of how to create and validate these domain names can significantly benefit your Azure administration skills for the AZ-104 exam.
Remember that adding custom domains to your Azure services is only a part of Azure’s vast capability. Continue exploring Azure’s documentation and knowledge base to gain more insights into its potential.
Practice Test
True/False: You can use the same custom domain name for different Azure web apps simultaneously.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: A custom domain name once assigned to an Azure web app, can’t be used for another Azure web apps. Each web app needs a unique custom domain name.
True/False: You must own a domain name to configure it in Azure.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: You must own or manage the domain name that you’re configuring in Azure. You can’t use a domain name owned by somebody else.
In order to configure a custom domain name in Azure, you will need:
- a) The domain name
- b) The IP address of your Azure web app
- c) A registered DNS zone
- d) All of the above.
Answer: d) All of the above
Explanation: The configuration of a custom domain name in Azure requires knowledge of the domain name, the IP address of the Azure web app, and a registered DNS zone where you can make necessary changes.
What is the first step in configuring a custom domain name in Azure?
- a) Configure the DNS records.
- b) Verify the domain.
- c) Add the domain to your azure web app.
- d) Register the domain name.
Answer: d) Register the domain name
Explanation: The first step is to register your domain name with a reputable domain registrar such as GoDaddy or Namecheap.
True/False: Azure app service can support both apex domains and subdomains.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure app service supports both apex domains (like “example.com”) and subdomains (like “www.example.com”).
True/False: There’s no need for SSL certificates while using a custom domain for Azure web apps.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: SSL certificates are necessary for establishing a secure connection between your website and its visitors. It’s necessary to configure an SSL certificate for your custom domain.
The process of proving ownership of domain is known as:
- a) Confirmation
- b) Validation
- c) Verification
- d) Accreditation
Answer: c) Verification
Explanation: In the context of configuring custom domains in Azure, the process is known as domain verification.
Which DNS record allows you to map a domain or subdomain to an Azure web app?
- a) CNAME
- b) A record
- c) MX record
- d) TXT record
Answer: a) CNAME
Explanation: A CNAME record allows you to map a domain or subdomain to another hostname, including an Azure web app.
True/False: Azure Active Directory allows you to add custom domain names.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure Active Directory allows you to add custom domain names, which can be configured for single-sign on, identity federation, and more.
In order to use your domain with Azure web apps, it must be:
- a) IPv4 complaint
- b) IPv6 complaint
- c) Both IPv4 and IPv6 complaint
- d) None of the above.
Answer: c) Both IPv4 and IPv6 complaint
Explanation: Microsoft Azure supports both IPv4 and IPv6, so in order to ensure full compatibility, your domain should be compliant with both protocols.
Interview Questions
What is the purpose of configuring custom domain names in Azure?
The purpose of configuring custom domain names in Azure is to provide a personalized and easy-to-remember URL to your Azure resources.
How can you verify your custom domain in Azure?
You can verify your custom domain in Azure by adding the verification ID value as a TXT record in the DNS record with your domain provider.
What are the types of DNS records Azure supports for domain verification?
Azure supports TXT and MX type DNS records for domain verification.
What is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) in Azure?
A fully qualified domain name (FQDN) in Azure is the complete domain name for a specific resource in a tree hierarchy of the DNS.
What are the requirements for a custom domain name in Azure?
Custom domain name in Azure must be a valid domain name (having at least two parts separated by a dot) and it must be registered with a domain registrar.
Why is it necessary to modify DNS records in your domain registrar when creating a custom domain in Azure?
It is necessary to do so in order to redirect traffic from your domain to the Azure resource and to verify that you are the owner of the custom domain.
What is an alias (CNAME) record?
A CNAME record is a type of DNS record that maps an alias name to the true or canonical domain name.
Do changes of custom domains in Azure take effect immediately?
No, changes to the DNS records usually take time to propagate through the DNS system, which can range from a few minutes to 48 hours.
What is the use case of Azure Traffic Manager in relation to custom domains?
Azure Traffic Manager can be used to manage traffic routing for custom domains according to various rules (e.g., performance, geographic, priority, weighted round-robin).
Can you assign a custom domain to more than one Azure resource?
No, a custom domain name can only be associated to a single Azure resource at a time.
What are the limitations of a custom domain in Azure?
Custom domains in Azure do not support wildcard entries, and they cannot exceed 63 characters.
Can you assign an existing custom domain from one Azure resource to another?
Yes, but you’ll first need to remove the custom domain mapping from the existing resource.
Why do you need to add a TXT record to your DNS configuration?
Adding a TXT record to your DNS configuration is required for domain verification, to confirm that you own the domain you’re adding to Azure.
Can you rename an Azure Web App’s default domain?
No, you cannot rename the default
Can you assign multiple custom domain names to a single Azure resource?
Yes, you can add multiple custom domain names to a single web app or other Azure resource. This is useful for supporting both www and non-www URLs, for example.