7 Fundamental DNS terms explained in a simple way
In our article, we will see several DNS terms that will assist you in managing your domain name as effectively as possible. So, let’s begin.
Domain Name System
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a global system that connects domain names to IP addresses. It has a multi-level hierarchical structure that is decentralized. It is quite useful and beneficial to people. If DNS didn’t exist, we have to input and remember every IP address on the web pages if DNS didn’t exist, which would be difficult. So, with the Domain Name System, we can employ easy-to-remember domain names and the page will load. It’s really simple.
More basic DNS terms you should know
Domain name
We type the domain name into our address bar when we wish to access a specific website. Its goal is to quickly recognize and locate various devices, computers, networks, and services on the Internet. A domain name is a one-of-a-kind name string; two websites could not have the same name. An example of a domain name is fatech.org.uk.
In addition, there are different types of domain names. And they are as follows:
- Top-level domains (TLDs)
- Second-level domains (SLD)
- Third-level domains
IP address
The Internet Protocol (IP) address is the identification used by the Internet Protocol (IP) to name hosts on the Internet. It appears to be a series of numbers and letters separated by dots. Devices can connect to one other and send data using this IP address.
There are currently two types of IP addresses in use:
- IPv4 address such as 47.113.214.15
- IPv6 addresses such as ffff:2f71:d60f::1
DNS zone
The DNS zone is a simple text file that contains all of the DNS records for the domain. DNS records are associated with each domain name (A record, SOA record, MX record, etc.). As a result, the Domain name system zone was established to keep these DNS records in order. DNS zones contain all records for a particular zone. A separate Domain Name System administrator manages each DNS zone. For example, when you purchase a domain name, you can obtain the ability to control its zones.
DNS record
The next component of our DNS terms list is exatly the DNS records. They are basic text files that provide essential DNS information. In most cases, a single domain can contain several DNS records. Each of them represents a different domain setup. The DNS records are stored in a zone file, which is present in every DNS zone.
Here are a few examples of popular DNS records:
- SOA record contains crucial data about the zone.
- A record connects a domain to an IPv4 address.
- AAAA record connects a domain to an IPv6 address.
- PTR record – an IPv4 or IPv6 address assigned to a domain.
- MX record identifies the email server in charge of receiving emails for the domain.
- CNAME record connects one name to another.
DNS query
A DNS query is the process of finding an IP address (an A record or an AAAA record) or different DNS records of a domain. As a result, when a consumer asks for information(wants to access the website), it generates a DNS query. For example, if you write exampleD.net, you will be connected to 213.47.63.159.
DNS server
The DNS servers are the final crucial DNS term on our list. So, we can distinguish two types:
- An authoritative name server responds to DNS queries. It does not just give cached replies collected from another name server. As a result, it only responds to requests regarding domain names that are registered in its configuration system.
- Recursive name servers’ goal is to collect the user’s DNS query and then search for the required information. They go through a number of servers until they find the solution. In addition, they can be thought of as a link between users and authoritative name servers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can agree that DNS is a multi-component system that tries to improve the user experience on the Internet. You can now confidently say that you understand the fundamental DNS terms.