Introduction to DNS
The Domain Name System (DNS) is essentially the internet's phonebook. It translates human-readable domain names into machine-readable IP addresses, like 172.217.160.142. This translation allows computers to communicate with each other over the internet.
Key functions of DNS:
- Name resolution: Translates domain names into IP addresses, enabling users to access websites using memorable names instead of complex numerical addresses.
- Hierarchical structure: Organizes domain names into a hierarchical tree structure, facilitating efficient name resolution.
- Caching: Stores previously resolved name-to-IP address mappings, improving performance and reducing network traffic.
- Zone management: Allows administrators to manage and configure zones, which are portions of the DNS namespace corresponding to specific domains.
- Security: Supports security features like DNSSEC for authentication and data integrity, and DNS filtering to block malicious domains.
Benefits of DNS:
- Easy to Remember: Domain names are easier to remember than IP addresses.
- Centralized Management: Changes to IP addresses don't affect users.
- Load Balancing: Distributes traffic across multiple servers.
- Security: DNSSEC provides security and authentication.
Working mechanism of DNS:
User Enters a Domain Name: When you type a website address into your web browser, your computer sends a query to a DNS resolver.
DNS Resolver: This is typically managed by your internet service provider (ISP). The resolver acts as an intermediary, searching for the IP address associated with the domain name.
Root Name Server: The resolver first contacts a root name server. Root servers provide a top-level view of the DNS hierarchy, pointing the resolver towards the appropriate top-level domain (TLD) server.
TLD Name Server: The TLD server (eg, .com, .org, .net) directs the resolver to the authoritative name server for the specific domain.
Authoritative Name Server: This server holds the definitive record for the domain and provides the IP address to the resolver.
IP Address Returned: The resolver then returns the IP address to your computer.
Website Access: Your computer can now connect to the website using the IP address.