---
title: "Managing DNS Traffic Control Objects"
canonical: "https://docs.infoblox.com/space/nios90/280271694/Managing%20DNS%20Traffic%20Control%20Objects"
format: markdown
---
<span style="color: #000000">You can configure multiple DNS Traffic Control servers, pools, or LBDNs on a NIOS appliance. For information on how to configure and manage the DNS Traffic Control Objects, see:</span>

> Macro (children)

<span style="color: #000000">Sections covered in the topic are:</span>

> Macro (toc)

# <span style="color: #000000">Viewing DNS Traffic Control Objects</span>

<span style="color: #000000">Grid Manager lists all DNS Traffic Control objects in the </span><span style="color: #000000">**Traffic**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Control**</span><span style="color: #000000"> tab. You can view the objects that you have configured in the Grid from: </span><span style="color: #000000">**Data**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Management**</span><span style="color: #000000"> tab -> </span><span style="color: #000000">**DNS**</span><span style="color: #000000"> tab -> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Traffic**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Control**</span><span style="color: #000000"> tab.</span>

<span style="color: #000000">Based on the selected columns, Grid Manager displays the following information for each DNS Traffic Control object:</span>

- <span style="color: #000000">**Name**</span><span style="color: #000000">: The name of the object.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">**Type**</span><span style="color: #000000">: The object type.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">**Status**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays information about the last update, connection status, load balancer methods, and servers and pools. Hover your mouse over the status value to view full information in a tooltip. For more information about the possible statuses, see as described in </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Understanding DTC Object Status](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280271616/Visualization+for+DNS+Traffic+Control+Objects#Understanding-DTC-Object-Status)*</span><span style="color: #000000">*.*</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">**IPv4 Address**</span><span style="color: #000000">: The IPv4 address of the object, if applicable.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">**IPv6 Address**</span><span style="color: #000000">: The IPv6 address of the object, if applicable.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">**Disabled**</span><span style="color: #000000">: </span><span style="color: #000000">**Yes**</span><span style="color: #000000"> or </span><span style="color: #000000">**No**</span><span style="color: #000000">. Indicates whether the DNS Traffic Control object is disabled.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">**Comment**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays any comments that were entered for the object.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">**Last Status Update**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays the timestamp of the last status update.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">**Load Balancing Method**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays the load balancing methods defined for the object.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">**Topology Ruleset**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays the topology ruleset defined for the object if it uses the Topology load balancing method.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Extensible attributes, if configured:</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**Site**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays any values that were entered for the Site pre-defined attribute.</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**IB Discovery Owned**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays any values that were entered for the IB Discovery Owned pre-defined extensible attribute.</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**Building**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays any values that were entered for the Building pre-defined attribute.</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**Country**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays any values that were entered for the Country pre-defined attribute.</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**Region**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays any values that were entered for the Region pre-defined attribute.</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**State**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays any values that were entered for the State pre-defined attribute.</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**VLAN**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Displays any values that were entered for the VLAN pre-defined attribute.</span>

> ⚠️ Note
> ⚠️ 
> ⚠️ <span style="color: #000000">You can perform inline editing in the </span><span style="color: #000000">**Name**</span><span style="color: #000000">, </span><span style="color: #000000">**Comment**</span><span style="color: #000000">, and </span><span style="color: #000000">**Site**</span><span style="color: #000000"> columns by double-clicking the required line in the table and providing the value in the corresponding column.</span>

<span style="color: #000000">You can perform the following in the </span><span style="color: #000000">**Traffic**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Control**</span><span style="color: #000000"> tab:</span>

- <span style="color: #000000">Select the checkbox to view specific objects only:</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**LBDN**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Select the checkbox to view LBDN objects only. For more information, see </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Configuring DNS Traffic Control LBDNs](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/299368879)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**Pool**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Select the checkbox to view pools only. For more information, see </span><span style="color: #000000">*[Configuring DNS Traffic Control Pools](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/281247795)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>
  - <span style="color: #000000">**Server**</span><span style="color: #000000">: Select the checkbox to view servers only. For more information, see </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Configuring DNS Traffic Control Servers](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/281215057)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Change the set of columns displayed in the DTC objects table and change their width. For more information, see </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Customizing Tables](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/500861569/About+the+Grid+Manager+Interface#Customizing-Tables)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span><span style="color: #000000">* *</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Click the Add icon to add an object.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Select an object and click the Edit icon to edit the configuration. You can also click the Action icon </span>> Macro (inline-media-image)

<span style="color: #000000"> of the object and select </span><span style="color: #000000">**Edit**</span><span style="color: #000000"> from the menu.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Select an object and click the Delete icon to delete it. You can also click the Action icon of the object and select </span><span style="color: #000000">**Delete**</span><span style="color: #000000"> from the menu. For more information, see the </span><span style="color: #000000">*Deleting*</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">*DNS*</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">*Traffic*</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">*Control*</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">*Objects*</span><span style="color: #000000"> section.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Click a DTC server name to open the list of DTC records associated with the server. For more information, see</span><span style="color: #0000ff">* *</span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Managing DTC Server Records](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/281215057/Managing+DNS+Traffic+Control+Servers#Managing-DTC-Server-Records)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Use filters and the </span><span style="color: #000000">**Go**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**to**</span><span style="color: #000000"> function to narrow down the list. With the autocomplete feature, you can just enter the first few characters of an object name in the </span><span style="color: #000000">**Go**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**to**</span><span style="color: #000000"> field and select the object from the possible matches.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Create a quick filter to save frequently used filter criteria. For information, see </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Using Quick Filters](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/1343161370)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Click the Export icon to export the list of objects to a .csv file.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Click the Print icon to print the list of objects.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Add or delete extensible attributes for a DTC object by selecting the object in the table and clicking </span><span style="color: #000000">**Extensible**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Attributes**</span><span style="color: #000000"> in the Toolbar. For information, see </span><span style="color: #000000">*[Using](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280274215/Managing+Extensible+Attributes#bookmark868)*</span><span style="color: #000000">[ ](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280274215/Managing+Extensible+Attributes#bookmark868)</span><span style="color: #000000">*[Extensible](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280274215/Managing+Extensible+Attributes#bookmark868)*</span><span style="color: #000000">[ ](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280274215/Managing+Extensible+Attributes#bookmark868)</span><span style="color: #000000">*[Attributes](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280274215/Managing+Extensible+Attributes#bookmark868)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Test a selected LBDN by clicking </span><span style="color: #000000">**Test**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**LBDN**</span><span style="color: #000000"> in the Toolbar. For more information, see </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Testing DNS Traffic Control LBDNs](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/299368879/Managing+DNS+Traffic+Control+LBDNs#Testing-DNS-Traffic-Control-LBDNs)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Enable/disable one or more selected traffic control objects. For more information, see the </span>*Enabling* *or* *Disabling Traffic* *Control* *Objects* section<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">View a visualization of the traffic control structure for an object by selecting the object in the table. The visualization is displayed by default. To hide the visualization, click </span><span style="color: #000000">**Hide**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Visualization**</span><span style="color: #000000"> in the Toolbar. For more information, see </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Visualization for DNS Traffic Control Objects](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280271616)*</span><span style="color: #003300">*.*</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">Use the </span><span style="color: #000000">**IDN**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Converter**</span><span style="color: #000000"> from the Toolbar to convert IDNs into punycodes. For more information, see </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Decoding IDNs and Encoding Punycode](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280661204)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>

> ⚠️ Note
> ⚠️ 
> ⚠️ The Grid Master Candidate provides the health status of DNS Traffic Control objects such as servers, pools, and LBDNs through WAPI requests.

# <span style="color: #000000">Deleting DNS Traffic Control Objects</span>

<span style="color: #000000">You can delete DNS Traffic Control objects, such as servers, pools, or LBDNs. When you delete an LBDN, the appliance automatically dissociates it from the zones. To delete an LBDN, you must either have write permission on the LBDN record or the LBDN. For more information, see </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[License Requirements and Admin Permissions](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280271755)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>

<span style="color: #000000">You cannot delete a DNS Traffic Control pool when it is in use. To delete a pool, you must first delete it from the associated LBDNs. You cannot delete a DNS Traffic Control server when it is in use. You must first remove it from every pool and topology ruleset before deleting the server.</span>

<span style="color: #000000">To delete an object:</span>

1. <span style="color: #000000">From the </span><span style="color: #000000">**Data**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Management**</span><span style="color: #000000"> tab, select the </span><span style="color: #000000">**DNS**</span><span style="color: #000000"> tab -> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Traffic**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Control**</span><span style="color: #000000"> tab, click the Action icon of the object name and select </span><span style="color: #000000">**Delete**</span><span style="color: #000000"> from the menu or select an object and click the Delete icon.</span>
2. <span style="color: #000000">In the </span><span style="color: #000000">*Delete*</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">*Confirmation*</span><span style="color: #000000"> dialog box, click </span><span style="color: #000000">**Yes**</span><span style="color: #000000"> to delete the object or </span><span style="color: #000000">**No**</span><span style="color: #000000"> to cancel the operation.</span>

<span style="color: #000000">The </span><span style="color: #000000">*Delete*</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">*Confirmation*</span><span style="color: #000000"> dialog box displays information about associated objects and warns if the object cannot be deleted due to the associations.</span>

<span style="color: #000000">To schedule an object deletion, click the Action icon of the object and select </span><span style="color: #000000">**Delete**</span><span style="color: #000000"> -> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Schedule**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Delete**</span><span style="color: #000000">. Alternatively, you can select the object in the </span><span style="color: #000000">**Traffic**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Control**</span><span style="color: #000000"> panel and then select the Delete icon -> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Schedule**</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Delete**</span><span style="color: #000000">. In the </span><span style="color: #000000">*Schedule*</span><span style="color: #000000"> </span><span style="color: #000000">*Deletion*</span><span style="color: #000000"> panel, enter a date, time, and time zone. For information, see </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Scheduling Deletions](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/1455063358)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>

> ⚠️ Note
> ⚠️ 
> ⚠️ <span style="color: #000000">If you remove a name server associated with a zone that comprises LBDN records and if the name server is configured as part of a </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[consolidated monitor list](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280664170)*</span><span style="color: #000000">, ensure that you remove the name server from the consolidated health monitor list in the DTC pool. For more information about health monitors, see </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Using DNS Traffic Control Health Monitors](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280404830)*</span><span style="color: #000000"> and </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Configuring DTC Monitors for Health Check](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280664170)*</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>

# <span style="color: #000000">Enabling or Disabling Traffic Control Objects</span>

<span style="color: #000000">You can enable or disable a single or multiple DNS Traffic Control objects for a selected Grid member.</span>

<span style="color: #000000">The Grid-level status of DNS Traffic Control objects can be viewed on the </span><span style="color: #000000">**Data Management**</span><span style="color: #000000"> tab -> </span><span style="color: #000000">**DNS**</span><span style="color: #000000"> tab -> </span><span style="color: #000000">**Traffic Control**</span><span style="color: #000000"> tab and the member-level status in the visualization panel. For more information, see </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Visualization for DNS Traffic Control Objects](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280271616)*</span><span style="color: #000000"> and </span><span style="color: #0000ff">*[Understanding DTC Object Status](https://infoblox-docs.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/nios90/pages/280271616/Visualization+for+DNS+Traffic+Control+Objects#Understanding-DTC-Object-Status)*</span><span style="color: #000000">. You will not be able to view the disabled configuration of an object in Grid Manager.</span>

## Disabling Traffic Control Objects

To disable a traffic control object:

> ⚠️ Note
> ⚠️ 
> ⚠️ Ensure that at least one health monitor is configured in a pool or a server object before you attempt to disable that DTC object.

1. From the **Data** **Management** tab, select the **DNS** tab -> **Traffic** **Control** tab.
2. In the *Traffic Control* panel, select the object that you want to disable.
3. Click the arrow beside the Enable/Disable icon or click the Action icon of the selected object, and select **Disable**.
4. Complete the following steps in the *Disable Traffic Management Objects* dialog:
  - **Disable health monitoring**: Select it if you want to disable the health monitoring when the selected DTC object is disabled.
  - **Disable options**: Select one of the following options:
    - **Disable until objects are enabled manually**: Select it to keep the object disabled until you enable the object manually.
    - **Disable until DNS service restarts**: Select it to keep the object disabled until the DNS service is restarted.
    - **Disable for specified time (seconds)**: Select it and specify a time interval in seconds until when the object must remain disabled. The object is enabled automatically after the specified interval elapses.
  - **Disable after (seconds)**: Select it and specify a time interval in seconds after which the object is disabled automatically.
  - In the **DTC grid** **members** section, select the Grid members on which the selected object must be disabled:
    - Click a member in the **Enabled on** box to select it.
    - Click the right arrow to move the member to the **To disable on** box.
5. Click **Save & Close**.

Consider the following points when you have disabled <span style="color: #000000">DNS Traffic Control objects in a Grid:</span>

- When you restore a Grid that had a DNS Traffic Control object disabled with the **Disable until DNS restarts** option, the object gets enabled as the restore operation causes all services including the DNS service to restart. You must disable the object once again.
- If you need to override or modify the configuration used to disable a DTC object, you must either wait until the object is enabled based on the setting you have defined, or manually enable the object.
- Disabling DNS Traffic Control objects does not impact the DTC backup or restore operation. A restore operation enables all objects in a Grid leaving them in Running state.
- When a Dig request is running, if you force restart the DNS service, the disabled DTC objects continue to send responses until all objects that were in the disabled state are reinstated to the disabled state after the restart. The time taken to reinstate the objects varies depending on the count of the disabled objects.
- When you modify the name server association of zones configured for an LBDN object, and then restart the DNS service, the DTC object disable settings (manual fail back events) configured for members associated with the LBDN, its pool, or server objects prior to the zone’s name server modification, becomes stale, and the stale data is cleared at regular intervals.

## <span style="color: #000000">Enabling Traffic Control Objects</span>

In a DNS Traffic Control setup, you must have at least one server object enabled in a pool and at least one pool object enabled in an LBDN.

To enable a traffic control object:

1. From the **Data** **Management** tab, select the **DNS** tab -> **Traffic** **Control** tab.
2. In the *Traffic Control* panel, select the object that you want to enable.
3. Click the arrow beside the Enable/Disable icon, or click the Action icon of the selected object, and select **Enable**.
4. In the *Enable Traffic Management Objects* dialog, select the Grid members on which the object must be enabled:
  1. In the **DTC grid members** section, click a member in the **Disabled on** box to select it.
  2. Click the right arrow to move the member to the **To enable on** box.
5. Click **Save & Close**.

> ⚠️ Note
> ⚠️ 
> ⚠️ - To enable a disabled DNS Traffic Control server object, its pool must be enabled. If not, the status of the server object will remain disabled.
> ⚠️ - In NIOS version 8.6.2 and later, to enable an object that was disabled in a prior version of NIOS, do not use the **Enable** option. Instead, complete the following steps:
> ⚠️   - On the **Traffic Control** tab, click the Action icon of the disabled object and select **Edit**.
> ⚠️   - In the editor, on the **General** tab, clear the selection in the **Disabled** checkbox.
> ⚠️   - Click **Save & Close**.

# <span style="color: #000000">Limitations and Warnings for Auto Consolidated Monitors</span>

<span style="color: #000000">You can view the limitations and warnings of Auto Consolidated Monitors for the DNS Traffic Control, server, and LBDN objects listed in this section.</span>

## <span style="color: #000000">DNS Traffic Control</span>

- <span style="color: #000000">The Auto Consolidated Monitors option uses DNS Traffic Control consolidated monitors that cannot share results of health monitors specified on DNS Traffic Control servers (server monitors). Therefore, DNS Traffic Control objects may have some differences in health statuses per Grid members when the Auto Consolidated Monitors option is enabled.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">If you disable the Auto Consolidated Monitors option for a DNS Traffic Control pool that is linked to an LBDN that has Auto Consolidated Monitors enabled, an error message is displayed. You cannot disable the Auto Consolidated Monitors option when this option is enabled in the linked LBDN.</span>
- <span style="color: #000000">You cannot make any changes to the DNS Traffic Control consolidated monitors settings if the Auto Consolidated Monitors option is enabled.</span>

> ❌ Warning
> ❌ 
> ❌ - <span style="color: #000000">If you enable the Auto Consolidated Monitors option on the DNS Traffic Control pool, all existing DNS Traffic Control consolidated monitors are deleted.</span>
> ❌ - <span style="color: #000000">When there are no health monitors on the DNS Traffic Control pool and you enable the Auto Consolidated Monitors option, a warning message asking you to manually add health monitors to the DNS Traffic Control pool is displayed.</span>

## <span style="color: #000000">DNS Traffic Control LBDN</span>

- <span style="color: #000000">Since the Auto Consolidated Monitors option uses DNS Traffic Control Consolidated Monitors which cannot share results of health monitors specified on DNS Traffic Control Servers (server monitors), DNS Traffic Control objects may have some differences in health statuses per Grid members even when the Auto Consolidated Monitors option is enabled.</span>

> ❌ Warning
> ❌ 
> ❌ - <span style="color: #000000">If you enable Auto Consolidated Monitors on the LBDN, all the existing DNS Traffic Control Consolidated Monitors on all linked DNS Traffic Control Pools are deleted.</span>
> ❌ - <span style="color: #000000">When Auto Consolidated Monitors is enabled on LBDN, all linked DNS Traffic Control Pools also have this option automatically enabled.</span>
> ❌ - <span style="color: #000000">When there are no health monitors assigned on the linked DNS Traffic Control Pool(s), and you enable Auto Consolidated Monitor on the LBDN, the warning message asking to manually add health monitors on DNS Traffic Control Pool is displayed.</span>

## <span style="color: #000000">DNS Traffic Control Servers</span>

> ❌ Warning
> ❌ 
> ❌ <span style="color: #000000">When you add health monitors to a DNS Traffic Control server that is a part of the DNS Traffic Control configuration with the source IP hash load balancing method selected and the Auto Consolidated Monitors option enabled, a warning message is displayed that these changes can cause differences in resolving queries among DNS Traffic Control Grid members for the same DNS request.</span>