Case Studies > NS1 Enhances Global DNS Performance with Catchpoint's Monitoring Solutions

NS1 Enhances Global DNS Performance with Catchpoint's Monitoring Solutions

Customer Company Size

Large Corporate

Region

America
Asia

Country

China
United States
Indonesia

Product

Catchpoint Platform
NS1 Managed DNS

Tech Stack

API-first Architecture
Anycast Network
Unicast Network

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Customer Satisfaction
Digital Expertise
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Networks & Connectivity - Network Management & Analysis Software
Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics

Applicable Industries

Software
Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Business Operation
Quality Assurance

Services

System Integration
Testing & Certification

About The Customer

NS1 is a prominent provider of next-generation DNS solutions, specializing in orchestrating the delivery of critical internet and enterprise applications. The company's platform transforms DNS into an intelligent, efficient, and automated toolset, enhancing the reliability, resiliency, security, and performance of application delivery infrastructure. NS1's platform is built on a modern API-first architecture, offering simplified user interfaces, precise routing controls, and exceptional support. The platform plays a crucial role in various application infrastructure initiatives, including DevOps, IoT, data center migrations, and hybrid and multi-cloud deployments. NS1 serves a global customer base, relying on major exchanges and partnerships with Tier One and Tier Two providers to deliver its services effectively.

The Challenge

NS1, a leader in next-generation DNS solutions, faced challenges in ensuring the reliability, resiliency, security, and performance of its application delivery infrastructure. As a managed DNS provider, NS1 needed to monitor the performance of its infrastructure vigilantly and understand the global DNS landscape to mitigate regional network performance issues like latency or peering problems. These issues could significantly impact the digital experience of NS1's end users. Additionally, NS1's sales teams required the ability to validate and benchmark their service performance against competitors to demonstrate superior performance and reliability. An independent third-party monitoring platform was necessary to test directly from end users' physical locations, providing a comprehensive view of network performance.

The Solution

NS1 partnered with Catchpoint to conduct synthetic monitoring tests of their infrastructure, vet new technologies, and manage network performance by detecting latency and peering issues. The Catchpoint platform enabled NS1 to measure the performance of their anycast network and benchmark it against competitors. NS1's IT Ops teams used Catchpoint to lab out changes on anycasted 'staging' prefixes, conducting A/B tests to understand the impact of adjustments before production deployment. Instant Tests and Traceroute tests helped NS1 identify and resolve latency spikes and peering issues quickly. Catchpoint DNS Experience tests provided granular performance data, enabling NS1 to refer the most performant endpoints, crucial for their Unicast networks in regions like China. NS1 utilized Catchpoint's RTT graph and geo chart for a comprehensive view of network performance globally. The platform's analytics and filtering capabilities allowed NS1 to delve deep into data, identifying root causes and demonstrating superior network performance to competitors.

Operational Impact

Catchpoint became integral to NS1's sales process and network management operations.
NS1 fine-tuned the performance of their global Anycast and Unicast networks using Catchpoint.
Catchpoint's monitoring solutions supported NS1's expansion into challenging markets like China and Indonesia.
NS1's ability to monitor from inside mainland China was crucial for success in that market.
Catchpoint's Public URL feature facilitated quick issue resolution with providers.

Quantitative Benefit

NS1's Managed DNS for China launched with market-leading network performance.
Catchpoint tests resolved a peering issue in Chicago in minutes, saving hours compared to other tools.