Hands-on emulator lab · 6–10 min
Give a website a backup address — Route 53 and DNS failover
Save primary and backup DNS records with a health-check reference.
These actions use an isolated AWS Emulator. It stores API state locally; it does not create paid cloud resources or run the full hosted AWS service.
Your goal
Save primary and backup DNS records with a health-check reference.
Why this matters
A DNS failover plan needs distinct primary and secondary records plus a meaningful health check. You will save and inspect that pair. A stored pair does not prove a backup website works.
Words you will use
DNS translates a name into an address. A health check tests availability. Failover selects a backup. TTL tells caches how long a DNS answer can be kept.
How to proceed
Start a fresh emulator, read each numbered step, and enter the practice settings shown. Run the action, inspect its API receipt, then continue. Finish lab checks the emulator state again before saving your progress.
1. Prepare the zone and health check
Create a reserved practice zone and an HTTPS health-check configuration for a documentation address. The emulator stores the check; this lab does not contact or monitor a live website.
2. Save a primary and backup address
Create two records with the same name. Mark one PRIMARY and attach its check. Mark the other SECONDARY. Distinct set identifiers keep these records separate.
3. Inspect the failover pair
List the stored records and check both roles. This verifies a failover design in API state. It does not simulate an outage or prove how public DNS caches will respond.
Practice, then check your understanding
Perform the actions yourself and inspect the returned state. Errors keep your settings so you can retry. Starting another lab clears the previous live environment. Earned XP is kept, and signed-in achievements sync to your account. Replay does not award duplicate XP.
Read the official AWS documentation for service behavior and production details.