What is DNS?

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For most people in the world today, working with a computer will normally involve some interaction with the internet. There are not many who have stopped to think of what makes it possible for millions of computers from all corners of the globe to interact and share data flawlessly. There are many components that come into play when you start looking into the internet and how it works, DNS is one of these systems.

In full DNS represents Domain Name System or Domain Name Server. Everyone who uses the internet will know several domain names, these domain names are not the best way to communicate with computers since the machines will only work with a numeric format which we know as the IP address. A domain name such as www.whatis-it.net will have an IP address such as 198.115.332.6 which makes it possible for you and the network to communicate when the domain name is converted to the IP address. It would require a lot of dedication and practice for you to remember a single IP address and yet you need to work with a good number of resources everyday. That would mean even more work for you. Finding a solution to all this is what led to the creation of a system that can convert your domain name into an IP address. In the same way the postal service uses a numerical address to identify a place, the DNS converts the domain name into an IP address which the systems can now understand and connect you to the resources that you are trying to communicate with.

As you can see DNS plays a critical role in the operation of the internet. Each IP address and domain name is completely unique, the slightest misrepresentation in the arrangement of the IP address or the domain name will yield completely different results. For this reason, the system requires almost perfect software that is easily upgraded to accommodate technological advancements which can be trusted by all users on the internet. Further, the DNS processes millions of requests each day and these are constantly changing. These changes include modifications to existing domain names as well as addition of new ones.

With an increase in the number of people and devices using the internet each day, the DNS system has advanced over the years and now has features that allow flexibility and great functionality. Several upgrades have taken place and continue to be developed. An example is where a domain name can now respond to several IP addresses and one IP address can relate to several domain names. This feature allows one computer to serve multiple websites and also allows flexibility in physical movement without problems. This is made possible by having both static as well as dynamic IP addresses where the dynamic address is allocated to a user as required. When one user is no longer using the IP address, it is free for allocation to another user and thus maximizing how resources are used.

When you consider all the functions and features of the DNS system, it is clear that without this system the internet would not function as we know it today.

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