DNS Monitoring Policy

Problem Overview

DNS resolution failures can silently disrupt endpoint connectivity, application access, and domain-joined operations across your environment. Without proactive monitoring, these issues often go undetected until end-users report problems—by which point productivity has already been impacted. This policy simplifies DNS health monitoring by alerting you when a device fails to resolve one or more configured hostnames, enabling fast response before issues escalate.

Description

The DNS Monitoring Policy tracks DNS resolution health across Windows, macOS, and Linux devices by periodically attempting to resolve a set of hostnames you define. If resolution fails—whether due to misconfigured DNS servers, network issues, or corrupted resolver caches—an alert is triggered so you can take immediate action. The alert is automatically resolved once DNS resolution succeeds again.

While this policy focuses on monitoring and alerting, it can be paired with a "Flush DNS Cache" automation to attempt automated remediation by clearing the local DNS cache on affected devices.

The policy is flexible, allowing you to customize the hostnames being tested and tailor monitoring to different device roles, such as domain-joined workstations, remote endpoints, or servers relying on internal DNS.

Use Cases

• Detecting DNS resolution failures on endpoints before users notice connectivity issues.
• Monitoring remote or off-network devices where DNS misconfiguration is more common.
• Verifying that domain-joined machines can resolve internal Active Directory hostnames.
• Supporting network change validation after DNS infrastructure updates.

Recommendations

• Hostname Configuration: Define a mix of internal and external hostnames (e.g., your internal domain and a reliable public hostname like google.com) to distinguish between internal DNS failures and broader connectivity issues.
• Pairing Automation: Import the "Flush DNS Cache" automation for automated remediation that clears the DNS resolver cache on affected devices without requiring manual intervention.
• Testing Instructions: Apply the policy to a small group of devices first to validate alert accuracy and confirm the hostnames you've chosen are appropriate for your environment.
• Alert Management: Route DNS alerts to your networking or desktop support team to ensure prompt investigation.

FAQ

• Does this policy work across all platforms?
  Yes, it is fully compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux devices.
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• Can I customize which hostnames are tested?
  Yes, you can specify any combination of internal or external hostnames to match your environment's DNS requirements.
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• What happens when DNS resolution fails?
  The policy generates an alert. For automated remediation, pair it with the "Flush DNS Cache" automation to attempt a cache flush on the affected device.
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• How do I use the "Flush DNS Cache" automation?
  Import the automation from the resource library, then select it as a remediation action within the DNS monitor configuration. No additional configuration is required.
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• Is coding required to use this policy?
  ‍No, the policy is pre-built and requires no coding to implement or customize.
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• How often does it check DNS resolution?
  ‍The policy checks DNS resolution every 15 minutes by default and triggers an alert immediately when resolution fails. The check frequency can be adjusted to suit your needs.