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The Internet name system is the Domain Name System (DNS), a distributed database that helps computers find records associated with domain names. A lookup often returns an IP address so a device can reach an Internet service, but DNS carries other kinds of records too.
What is the Internet name system?
DNS is the Internet’s hierarchical naming system. It lets applications use readable domain names, such as www.example.com, to request information needed to reach or use an Internet service. An IP address is a common answer, but DNS is not simply a directory that converts every website name into an address: it supports multiple record types for different purposes.
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DNS is distributed rather than held in one central database or on one machine. Different servers are responsible for different parts of the naming hierarchy, and they cooperate to answer queries.
How does DNS turn a domain name into an address?
When a device needs a DNS record, it usually asks a recursive resolver. The resolver may already have a usable answer in its cache. If not, it follows referrals through the DNS hierarchy until it reaches a server that can provide the requested record.
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- The client asks a recursive resolver. The device or application requests a record for a name such as
www.example.com. - The resolver checks its cache. If it has a current answer, it can return it without querying the hierarchy again.
- The resolver follows referrals when needed. The root directs it to the relevant top-level domain servers; the
.comservers direct it to the authoritative DNS service forexample.com. - The authoritative server returns the record. It supplies the requested information for
www.example.com, such as an IP address if that is the record being requested. - The resolver replies and may cache the answer. Caching follows the record’s time-to-live (TTL), which determines how long the information may be reused.
The resolver does not necessarily contact a root server for every lookup: cached information can shorten the process. The root, TLD, and authoritative servers are distinct roles in one system, not a single server containing every domain’s records.
Which organizations operate DNS?
DNS responsibilities are shared across organizations. ICANN coordinates important parts of the global naming system and root zone, but it does not operate the whole DNS. TLD registries operate their top-level domain services; registrars handle registrations for many TLDs; and domain registrants or their DNS providers manage records for individual domains.
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The root server system is also distributed. ICANN’s current Root Server System page says that 12 independent operators manage 13 root identities, represented by more than 1,500 individual servers providing identical root-zone information. “13 root servers” refers to the identities, not just 13 physical machines.
Why DNS matters
- It makes names usable. People and applications can request services using domain names rather than needing to know an IP address in advance.
- It supports more than address lookups. DNS can return different kinds of records, depending on what a client asks for.
- It scales through delegation and caching. Responsibility is divided across the hierarchy, while cached answers can avoid repeating parts of a lookup.
- It is operated collectively. Coordination, domain registration, TLD operation, and individual domain records are handled by different parties.
What DNS does not mean
DNS is not the Internet itself, and there is no single organization that runs every DNS service. It is a naming system used by Internet-connected devices and applications to locate or obtain information about services. Nor is every lookup a fresh trip from the root down: resolvers can reuse cached answers while they remain valid.
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