Microsoft Azure Traffic Manager allows you to control the distribution of user traffic for service endpoints in different datacenters and region. Traffic Manager support distribution of traffic for Azure VMs, Web Apps, cloud services and non-Azure endpoints.
Traffic Manager uses the Azure DNS to direct client requests to the most appropriate endpoint based on a traffic-routing method and the health of the endpoints.
Traffic Manager uses vanity domain name to direct traffic to desired endpoints based on geographic location of the user and nearest Azure Datacentre where endpoint is located.
| Domain Name | Vanity Domain Name | Record Type |
| http://www.domain.com | Domain.trafficmanager.net | CNAME |
| Domain.trafficmanager.net | Domain-us.cloudapp.net
Domain-au.cloudapp.net |
CNAME |
| Domain-us.cloudapp.net | Public IP Address of endpoint | Host A |
| Domain-au.cloudapp.net | Public IP Address of endpoint | Host A |
Traffic Manager act like a DNS routing system to direct clients to specific service endpoints based on the rules of the traffic-routing method. Clients connect to the selected endpoint directly. Traffic Manager is not a proxy or a gateway. Traffic Manager does not see the traffic passing between the client and the service.
To Create Traffic Manager Profile,
- From a browser, sign in to the Azure portal.
- Click Create a resource > Networking > Traffic Manager profile > Create
- In the Create Traffic Manager profile, Select Geographic Routing Method, Resource Group Location and create profile.
- Select the Profile, Navigate to Settings -> Endpoints in Traffic Manager.
- Click Add to show the Add Endpoint.
- Click Add and in the Add endpoint, Type the Name and Source Type then Add geo-mapping to the endpoint.
- To test the Geo-mapping and Traffic routing, you can use any free VPN service or subscribe a VPN service and connect to region using the VPN service and access your endpoint. You will be directed to the nearest endpoint you have configured in step 5 & 6.
