What is a DNS?

DNS, which stands for domain name server, functions as an internet phone book that assists web browsers in translating domain names like wikipedia.com into computer-friendly IP addresses such as 192.179.1.1. Since there are more than 342 million registered domains, it is impossible to store all of the information in one place. As a result, the information is kept on domain name servers worldwide, which interact with each other for updates and to eliminate redundancies.

To load a webpage, the system employs four servers. Initially, the DNS recursor, also known as the recursive resolver, receives DNS queries from users who utilize applications such as web browsers to access websites. The query then goes to a root server, which contains information about top-level domains (like .com, .net, and .org), as well as country domains like .us and .au. The TLD nameserver is the next step in the process of finding a particular IP address, and it hosts the last part of a hostname. Finally, the query is sent to the authoritative name servers that have the necessary information and are responsible for DNS resource records. DNS caching speeds up this process by storing the information on a personal device, so it doesn’t have to access a DNS server to resolve the name with the IP address.

The DNS numbering system functions by dividing the string of numbers into sections that include the network component, the host, and the subnet. In 1998, the U.S. government entrusted the task of assigning IP addresses to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Numbers and Names (ICANN). Anyone can register a domain on the internet by going to any of the ICANN-accredited registrars.

Looking to learn more? We suggest heading over to Cloudflare’s Learning Center for an in-depth look at DNS.