Network: DNS

Networking DNS

devops
network
DNS
description
Author

albertprofe

Published

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Modified

Sunday, August 10, 2025

1 Domain Name System (DNS) in Networking

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a fundamental protocol in computer networking that translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses. It acts as a distributed and hierarchical database, providing a crucial service for navigating the vast landscape of the internet. DNS plays a pivotal role in making internet resources accessible by allowing users to use domain names like www.example.com instead of remembering numeric IP addresses like 192.168.1.1.

1.1 Structure and Hierarchy

DNS operates in a hierarchical structure, organized into zones. The highest level is the root domain, represented by a dot (‘.’). Beneath the root, there are top-level domains (TLDs), such as .com, .org, and .net. Further down, domain names become more specific, leading to fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) like www.example.com.

Each domain level is separated by a dot, forming a tree-like structure. For instance, the FQDN www.example.com can be broken down into labels: “www” is a subdomain of “example,” which is under the top-level domain “com.”

1.2 DNS Resolution Process

When a user enters a domain name in a web browser, the DNS resolution process begins. The following steps illustrate this process:

  1. Local DNS Cache Check: The user’s device checks its local DNS cache to see if it already knows the corresponding IP address for the requested domain. If found, the process concludes.

  2. Recursive DNS Server: If the IP address is not in the local cache, the device queries a recursive DNS server. This server is responsible for obtaining the information on behalf of the user.

  3. Root DNS Server: If the recursive DNS server doesn’t have the information, it queries the root DNS server. The root server directs the request to the appropriate TLD server based on the top-level domain of the requested domain name.

  4. TLD DNS Server: The TLD server, responsible for the specific top-level domain of the requested domain, directs the recursive server to the authoritative DNS server of the next domain level.

  5. Authoritative DNS Server: The authoritative DNS server holds the specific IP address associated with the requested domain and provides this information to the recursive server.

  6. Recursive DNS Server Response: The recursive server caches the obtained IP address and responds to the user’s device.

  7. Local DNS Cache Update: The user’s device updates its local DNS cache with the resolved IP address for future use.

1.3 DNS Record Types

DNS uses various record types to store different types of information. The most common ones include:

  • A (Address) Record: Maps a domain to an IPv4 address.

    Example: www.example.com. IN A 192.168.1.1

  • AAAA (IPv6 Address) Record: Maps a domain to an IPv6 address.

    Example: www.example.com. IN AAAA 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

  • CNAME (Canonical Name) Record: Alias of one domain to another.

    Example: www.example.com. IN CNAME example.com

  • MX (Mail Exchange) Record: Specifies mail servers responsible for receiving emails.

    Example: example.com. IN MX 10 mail.example.com

  • NS (Name Server) Record: Indicates authoritative DNS servers for a domain.

    Example: example.com. IN NS ns1.example.com

1.4 Conclusion

In conclusion, DNS is a critical protocol that simplifies internet navigation by translating human-readable domain names into machine-readable IP addresses. Understanding its hierarchical structure, resolution process, and various record types is essential for anyone working with computer networks. DNS plays a foundational role in making the internet accessible and user-friendly.

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