DNS (Domain Name System)
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical, distributed naming system. It answers questions such as which IP address hosts a service or which servers receive email for a domain. Common resource records include A and AAAA for addresses, CNAME for aliases, MX for mail servers, and TXT for verification and policy information.
DNS does not register a domain or transfer the website itself. It provides information required to establish a connection. Changes may appear with delays because of TTL values and cached answers; there is no single fixed global propagation time. Careful migrations, redundant authoritative name servers, restricted access, and DNSSEC can support availability and integrity.
- Maps names to addresses and service information
- Distributed hierarchical system
- A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, and TXT are common records
- TTL and caches affect update timing
- Secure access and DNS configuration
Frequently asked questions
DNS is the distributed naming system that maps domains and hostnames to technical information for web, email, and other services.
It depends partly on previous TTL values and the caches involved. There is no universal fixed propagation time.
