DNS Servers#

A DNS server is a computer running DNS server software. * Protocols: Primarily UDP but sometimes TCP * Port: 53

Root Servers#

  • DNS starts with a '.'
  • Delegates name resolution to other DNS servers

Top-Level Domain (TLD) Servers#

  • These are all the '.com' '.org' '.net' '.edu' '.gov', etc.
  • ICANN has the authority to create new TLDs.

Second-Level DNS Servers#

Handle millions of names like totalsem.com, alexkraker.net, etc

Name Servers#

DNS Zone#

Configuration#

  • Authoritative Store IP addresses and FQDN's of systems for a particular domain or domains.
  • Cache-only Never the authoritative nameserver. Communicate with other DNS servers to resolve domains.

DNS Records#

Location of DNS Servers#

  • Local
    • Usually private DNS
    • Typically forwards DNS for which it's not the authoritative nameserver
  • External Any DNS server that is not internal to an organization.

Dynamic DNS#

Works together with DHCP to dynamically update IP addresses of forward lookup zones * IPAM IP Address Management Protocol used to establish DNS when IP addresses change. Used to communicate between DHCP and DNS server.