DNS stands for Domain Name System, which is a hierarchical and distributed naming system for computers, services, and other resources in the Internet or other Internet Protocol networks. It is essentially the phonebook of the internet, translating human-readable domain names (like www.example.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (like 192.0.2.44) . DNS is important because machines dont understand site names like we do, and without it, your browser wouldn’t know where to point your web page request, and finding the information you need would be a much more arduous process.
DNS works in the background, and its not something the average internet user will need to worry about much. However, it is a crucial part of the internet infrastructure, and it plays an important and ubiquitous role in distributed Internet services such as cloud services and content delivery networks.
The client side of the DNS is called a DNS resolver, which is responsible for initiating and sequencing the queries that ultimately lead to a full resolution (translation) of the resource sought, e.g., translation of a domain name into an IP address. There are four types of DNS servers involved in the resolution process: DNS resolver, root nameserver, TLD nameserver, and authoritative nameserver.
DNS servers translate requests for names into IP addresses, controlling which server an end user will reach when they type a domain name into their web browser. DNS resolvers are classified by a variety of characteristics, including whether they are open or closed, whether they are recursive or iterative, and whether they are public or private.
In summary, DNS is a crucial part of the internet infrastructure that translates human-readable domain names into machine-readable IP addresses, making it easier for people to visit websites.
