Decoding the Domain Name System (DNS): A Concise Guide
What is DNS?
- Translates human-readable domain names (e.g., google.com) into machine-readable IP addresses.
- Enables users to access websites using names instead of numerical IP addresses.
- Forms a crucial part of the internet's infrastructure.
How DNS Works
- User enters a domain name in a web browser.
- The browser queries a recursive DNS resolver.
- The resolver queries authoritative DNS servers for the domain.
- The authoritative servers return the IP address.
- The browser connects to the IP address.
Key DNS Components
- **Root Nameservers:** Top-level servers forming the foundation of the DNS hierarchy.
- **Top-Level Domain (TLD) Nameservers:** Servers for .com, .org, .net, etc.
- **Authoritative Nameservers:** Servers holding the specific IP address for a domain.
- **Recursive Resolvers:** Servers that handle DNS queries from users' computers.