A method and system for managing domain name system (DNS) name servers using virtual name servers is disclosed. A plurality of virtual name servers are mapped to a plurality of actual name servers of the DNS. Each actual name server stores at least one record identifying a domain and an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a computer hosting that domain. Information is received from a monitoring service computer identifying which actual name servers are unhealthy and which actual name servers are healthy. Based on this information, the mapping of each virtual name server that is mapped to an unhealthy actual name server is updated to map to one of the healthy actual name servers.