What is a DNS?

The abbreviation DNS stands for Domain Name System and is an essential Internet protocol that converts domain names into IP addresses. Because people are much better at remembering names than numerical strings, DNS was developed to make it easier to find websites on the Internet. Without DNS, users would have to remember the IP address for every website they want to visit.

How DNS works

A DNS consists of a multitude of DNS servers distributed around the world that act as a kind of phone book for the Internet. When a request is made, for example when a website is accessed, the associated domain name is translated by this server into the corresponding IP address so that the web server can be found and the requested page can be displayed.

Name resolution process

The name resolution process begins with entering a domain name, such as www.example.com, into the browser’s address bar. The browser then asks the local DNS resolver whether the required IP address already exists. If not, the resolver forwards the request to one of the root name servers distributed worldwide. The root name servers are responsible for the top level of the domain structure, such as the “.com” in the example. The root name server then gives the resolver the address of an authoritative name server for the domain www.example.com. Finally, the resolver asks the authoritative name server for the IP address for the specified domain and receives the information sought.

Important components in DNS

• Domain Name: An easy-to-read, unique string that represents the Internet resource. For example: www.example.com.
• TLD (Top-Level Domain): The highest level in the domain structure, for example .com, .org, .net and so on.
• Name server: A server or network of servers that handles DNS requests and returns the IP addresses of the requested domain names.
• DNS Resolver: A server that receives requests from Internet users and looks for the associated IP addresses to forward the request.

Summary

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a basic Internet protocol that converts domain names into their associated IP addresses to make it easier to find websites on the Internet. The DNS consists of a series of servers distributed around the world and allows users to access websites using their domain names instead of having to remember the numerical IP addresses.