DNSMON Gets a Makeover

DNSMON Gets a Modern Makeover

The RIPE NCC's DNS Monitoring Service (DNSMON) monitors DNS root and multiple TLD name servers using the RIPE Atlas infrastructure, providing real-time and historical data on DNS performance across the globe. In 2014, DNSMON underwent a major update, introducing interactive visualisations built with Backbone.js and jQuery. Now, after nearly a decade, DNSMON has undergone another significant transformation, modernising its architecture and UI and bringing it into alignment with the rest of the RIPE Atlas technology ecosystem.

A new home

DNSMON has been promoted to a new address. The service has moved from its previous location within the old RIPE NCC web template design to its dedicated domain at dnsmon.ripe.net. This transition represents more than just a URL change – it marks the evolution from a server-side rendered application to a modern, standalone client-side Vue application.

A complete visualisation rewrite

The heart of DNSMON – its visualisation engine – has been completely rebuilt. While the 2014 update brought interactive visualisations with zoom capabilities and custom thresholds, the technology stack (backbone.js/jquery) was showing its age after nearly a decade. The new implementation leverages Vue 3 and modern web standards to deliver a significantly improved experience.

Reworked app

The interface has been thoughtfully redesigned with:

• A cleaner layout: The controls are clearer and neatly organised, making it easier to navigate between different views and settings
• Modern components: Using RIPE Atlas components provides a consistent, accessible UI
• Responsive: The new Interface is much more responsive, adapting to a variety of screen sizes
• Shareability: URLs preserve complete state, allowing users to bookmark and send specific views with all settings intact

Technical improvements

Beyond the visible changes, this rewrite brings DNSMON into alignment with the rest of the RIPE Atlas ecosystem. By adopting the same Vue-based technology stack used throughout RIPE Atlas, DNSMON benefits from shared components, unified maintenance, and consistent development practices. This means faster development of new features and more reliable updates going forward.

The modern architecture also delivers better performance with smoother updates, more efficient data handling, and improved type safety through TypeScript.

DomainMON also gets the upgrade

The improvements to DNSMON gave us an opportunity to also rewrite DomainMON, the self-service tool that allows users to monitor their own domains using RIPE Atlas measurements.

DomainMON enables RIPE Atlas users to:

• Monitor the quality of service for the name servers (NS records) of their domain(s)
• Set up custom monitoring with a guided wizard that automatically detects NS records
• Choose specific probes, measurement types, and frequencies based on their needs
• Visualise their domain's DNS performance using the same grid-based interface as DNSMON
• Share and embed visualisations in their own web pages

With the new responsive design and improved performance, DomainMON users now enjoy the same enhanced experience when monitoring their domains, making it easier than ever to track DNS infrastructure reliability across different geographical regions.

Transition

Links to the old versions of both DNSMON (https://dnsmon.ripe.net/legacy-dnsmon) and DomainMON (https://atlas.ripe.net/domainmon/) will remain available for some time as we collect more feedback on the new versions and deal with any unforeseen issues. Also, old urls with their query parameters will get forwarded/translated to the new/old versions of the visualisations, allowing an easy comparison of views between the old and the new.

Looking forward

This modernisation sets the foundation for future enhancements. By aligning with the RIPE Atlas technology stack, DNSMON can now evolve in tandem with the broader platform. The modular Vue architecture makes it easier to add new features, improve existing functionality, and maintain the codebase. The move to a dedicated domain also provides more flexibility for future expansions of the service.

For users, these changes mean a faster, more intuitive, and more reliable DNS monitoring experience. Whether you're checking the status of root servers, analysing historical trends, or sharing findings with colleagues, the new DNSMON makes these tasks easier than ever.

The new DNSMON is available now at https://dnsmon.ripe.net/. We encourage you to explore the updated interface and take advantage of the new features. As always, we welcome feedback at atlas@ripe.net.