Domain Name System (DNS) Part 2

 How DNS Works

DNS servers convert URLs and domain names into IP addresses, enabling computers to find and display webpages. This translation process, known as DNS resolution, involves several steps:

1. A user enters a web address into a browser.

2. The browser sends a recursive DNS query to the network.

3. The query reaches a recursive DNS server (managed by the ISP). If the server has the address, it returns it to the user, loading the webpage.

4. If the recursive server lacks the address, it queries other servers: DNS root name servers, top-level domain (TLD) servers, and authoritative name servers.

5. These servers redirect the query until a DNS record with the IP address is found and sent back to the recursive server.

6. The recursive server caches the IP address (A record) for future queries.

7. If the authoritative server can't find the address, it returns an error.

8. The entire process is typically completed in a fraction of a second, unnoticed by the user.

DNS servers handle requests from both inside and outside their domains, providing authoritative answers or forwarding queries as needed.

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