Azure DNS Now Load Balances Directly Through Traffic Manager Linked Records

If you run DNS-based load balancing on Azure, you know the pattern: a CNAME in your zone pointing at a trafficmanager.net name. That extra hop is now optional.

Azure DNS now integrates with Azure Traffic Manager and is generally available. You can associate an Azure DNS record set directly with a Traffic Manager profile, which removes the need for a CNAME record pointing to the Traffic Manager profile. The record set is linked to the profile, so DNS-based load balancing is handled as part of the record itself.

Worth a look if you manage zones and Traffic Manager profiles separately today. Dive into the full technical breakdown here