Some background knowledge on the domain name name system, and how it operates, is important vĩ đại understanding DNS zones.
The DNS is a hierarchical, decentralized component of the mạng internet standard protocol responsible for converting human-friendly domain name names into the mạng internet protocol (IP) addresses computers use vĩ đại identify each other on the network.1
Often called the “phonebook for the mạng internet,” a more modern analogy is that DNS manages domain name names in much the same way as smartphones manage contacts. Phones save liên hệ numbers in searchable liên hệ lists and eliminate the need for users vĩ đại memorize individual phone numbers. Likewise, the DNS enables users vĩ đại connect vĩ đại websites by using domain name names instead of complex IP addresses.
When a user enters a domain name name into a browser, the query (often called a DNS request or DNS lookup) begins. A recursive resolver—the middleman between the client device and authoritative servers—then queries a series of servers vĩ đại find the information it needs vĩ đại connect the user vĩ đại the wanted trang web. Each of these servers is responsible for a segment of the domain name namespace.
The query process begins with the root name server. Root name servers sit atop the DNS hierarchy and are responsible for managing the root zone. These servers answer queries for records stored within the root zone and refer requests vĩ đại the appropriate top-level domain name (TLD) name server.
TLD name servers direct queries vĩ đại the authoritative name servers for the specific domains within their TLD. For example, the TLD name server for ".com" directs domains ending in ".com", the TLD name server for ".gov" directs domains ending in ".gov", and so sánh on.
The domain name name server (sometimes referred vĩ đại as the second-level domain name name server) holds the zone tệp tin with the IP address for the full domain name name, such as “ibm.com.” This zone tệp tin might also hold information for a subdomain (such as blog.ibm.com) or that information might be partitioned vĩ đại its own zone.
Each of these servers stores DNS records with information about the domain name that the recursive resolver needs vĩ đại continue, and ultimately resolve, its query.