What’s Round Robin DNS?

Round Robin DNS (Domain Name Server) is a creative way to lighten the server and bandwidth requirements of hosting websites by using a range of IP addresses. This technique is especially useful for companies whose websites get a very large number of hits and/or a large number of bandwidth-consuming downloads.

Through a careful set of protocols, companies implement Round Robin DNS by assigning a certain number of IP addresses to alternate responsibility for allowing website users to access the company’s website. Think of these IP addresses as A, B, C, and D. When the first user accesses the website, this type of DNS system takes the user to address A. The second user is taken to address B, and so on. Once A is used, it goes to the end of the line; then the fifth user accesses address A.

However, the protocol name is only a hint of what actually happens. Despite the sequential nature of the example, IP addresses are not assigned in sequential order. Rather, they are awarded in a random order. Like a round robin sports tournament, where one team plays against every other team, Round Robin DNS will, if allowed, assign every available IP address to a user. This doesn’t happen every time, of course, but it’s conceivable.

Users see none of this, of course. Every single user who accesses that company’s Web site sees exactly what he should see. The vast majority of websites display a domain name that consists of letters, not numbers. With Round Robin DNS, however, a particular IP address doesn’t have to accept every single hit. This type of system is commonly used by companies that have multiple versions of the same web page residing on different servers, but individual website owners also use the protocol for the same reason.

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