Dns Server: How it Works

Defining a DNS Server

It is a method of translating computer addresses so computers can find each other. It translates a numerical address that is assigned to a computer into a certain sequence of words.

Domain Name System which can also go as Domain Name Service or Server is basically defined as an Internet service that can translate domain names into IP addresses. Each time a domain name is used, a DNS server must change the name into its corresponding IP address.

The DNS server stands alone. It is actually its own network. Once a DNS server fails to translate a certain domain name, it asks another one until it returns the correct IP address. In computing, the type of protocol used by a DNS server is the name service protocol. It will usually map a host that can be easily recognized by us humans to another identifier that machines can recognize.

Implementation

The Internet largely depends on the DNS server protocol. Without it we wouldn't have the dot-coms, dot-orgs, or dot-nets. A DNS server governs the domain name system's records, namely:

?        A ' host records

?        CNAME ' aliases records

?        MX ' mail exchange records

All for a domain name.

People and the Internet

Sending emails or just simply browsing the web implements the use of a DNS server. This part of the Internet may be completely hidden but it is an extremely important part of it. The largest and most active database is formed by no less than the DNS server. Without the DNS server, there could be a possible Internet shutdown. Every time a domain name is used by the one accessing the Internet, the DNS server is automatically used so that the information that is readable to humans is translated into an IP address that is readable by the machine.

The Importance

Basically, the DNS server translates information and converts it into an IP address. This may sound simple but it can be complicated because of the following reasons:

?        Currently, there are a billion IP addresses in use, and most machines have human-readable names.

?        There are billions of DNS server requests sent every single day. One person can make about a million DNS server request per day. To top it all, there are about a billion people using the Internet each day. Do the math.

?        Both domain names and IP addresses change daily and new ones are created at the same rate also.

A DNS server contains a database that can be accessed in its own network. Of all the databases in the world today, it is the only database with millions of requests by millions of people every hour.

The IP address

In order to keep everything in the Internet organized, each computer or any other electronic device that connects to the Internet or any network has its own IP address. DNS servers can provide the right information as long as the IP address is included with the request. Without the IP address, there is no return address for the information requested.

A server always has a static IP address so that it makes it easier for other machines to locate it. Although there are some systems that change their IP address, other machines can still locate them as long as they have set up their DNS servers properly. A modem, which is usually found in house computers, has an IP address that is assigned every time you dial in. The IP address is unique for every session and no two can be the same.

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If you are trying to connect to a DNS server but you're encountering some difficulty, you can check if it exists with the various tools at Network-Tools. As long as you have the IP address of the server, troubleshooting will be a breeze.