# DNS service overview

The DNS service provides DNS Zone and RecordSet management for OpenStack clouds. The DNS Service includes a REST API, a command-line client, and a Horizon Dashboard plugin.

The DNS service consists of the following components:

`openstack` command-line client plugin

  A plugin for the OpenStack Client CLI that communicates with the REST API

`designate-api` component

  An OpenStack-native REST API that processes API requests by sending them to the `designate-central` over Remote Procedure Call (RPC).

`designate-central` component

  Orchestrates the creation, deletion and update of Zones and RecordSets.

`designate-producer` component

  Orchestrates periodic tasks that are run by designate.

`designate-worker` component

  Is a generic task runner, that runs both zone create / update and deletes, and periodic tasks, from `designate-producer`

`designate-mdns` component

  A small DNS Server that is responsible for pushing DNS Zone information to the customer facing DNS Servers. Can also pull in DNS information about DNS Zones hosted outside of the Designate infrastructure

`Customer Facing DNS Servers`

  Serves DNS requests to end users. They are orchestreated by the `designate-worker`, and the supported list is maintained here.

this page last updated: 2026-04-13 15:37:16

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