A Comprehensive Guide to DNS and its Functionality
In the digital landscape, we rarely access websites by directly using their IP addresses. Instead, we rely on domain names such as google.com or flaviocopes.com. This convenience allows website owners to switch servers and hosting providers while keeping the same domain name.
The mechanism responsible for mapping these domain names to their corresponding IP addresses is known as the Domain Name System (DNS). It is essentially a network of servers that facilitate this mapping process. Your internet service provider (ISP) usually configures your router to use their DNS servers. However, you can also choose to use other public DNS servers like Google’s DNS server with the IP address 8.8.8.8.
When you enter a domain name into your browser, your computer sends a DNS request to your configured DNS server. This server then forwards the request to its own reference DNS server. The DNS system operates as a hierarchical structure, resembling a tree. At the top of this hierarchy lies the root DNS server. This server holds the IP addresses of DNS servers responsible for managing various domain extensions, including popular ones like com, net, and org, as well as country-specific extensions and newer ones like blog, dev, or tech.
These DNS servers store the IP address mappings for all the domains falling under their respective extensions. To ensure optimal performance, the DNS system incorporates caching, redundancy, and the capability to handle high concurrent request loads.
In conclusion, DNS plays a vital role in bridging the gap between domain names and IP addresses, enabling seamless website accessibility on the internet.