DNS Quiz: What is the Purpose of the Domain Name System?

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary purpose of the Domain Name System (DNS)?

To regulate the registration of domain names

To translate domain names to IP addresses (correct)

To provide email services for internet users

To manage the servers that host websites

Which of the following is NOT a component of the Domain Name System (DNS)?

Domain Name

Name Space

Web Server (correct)

Name Resolver

What is the purpose of a country-specific domain (e.g. .uk, .ca, .jp)?

To indicate the language used on the website

To categorize websites by their target audience's country (correct)

To control which countries can register a domain name

To provide a way to identify the owner of the domain

Which of the following is an example of a hierarchical name space in the Domain Name System?

example.com.us Signup and view all the answers

What type of record is stored on a DNS name server?

Address records, name server records, and mail exchanger records Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of a DNS name resolver?

To translate domain names to IP addresses Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of an authoritative nameserver?

It hosts the last portion of a hostname Signup and view all the answers

How can the top-level domain server be thought of?

As a specific rack of books in a library Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the domain name system (DNS)?

To resolve hostnames to IP addresses Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the top-level domain (TLD) server and a hostname?

The TLD server hosts the last portion of the hostname Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the domain name system (DNS) in the context of the internet?

To resolve hostnames to IP addresses Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the top-level domain (TLD) server and the domain name system (DNS)?

The TLD server is a part of the DNS infrastructure Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a name server?

To connect URLs with the IP addresses of web servers Signup and view all the answers

What are the two main types of name resolvers?

Recursive and iterative Signup and view all the answers

How does the DNS recursion process work?

The recursor queries the root, TLD, and authoritative name servers on behalf of the client Signup and view all the answers

Which analogy best describes the role of the root name server?

A library index that points to different book racks Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the TLD (Top-Level Domain) name server?

To provide a reference to authoritative name servers Signup and view all the answers

Which component of the DNS system is responsible for receiving queries from client machines?

DNS recursor Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Domain Name System (DNS)

DNS translates domain names to IP addresses, enabling browsers to load Internet resources.
DNS consists of 4 components: Domain Name, Name Space, Name Server, and Name Resolver.

Domain Name

A domain name is a string of text that maps to an alphanumeric IP address, used to access a website from client software.
Examples: google.com, youtube.com
A domain name consists of 3 parts:
- Generic Domain (e.g., .com, .edu)
- Country Domain (e.g., .us, .uk)
- Inverse Domain (maps an address to a name)

Name Space

2 types of Name Spaces:
- Flat Name Space (all nodes are directly connected to the root node, no structure)
- Hierarchical Name Space (nodes are connected with different partitions, e.g., top-level domain, level domain, and third-level domain)

Name Server

A DNS name server is a server that stores DNS records and is known as the "phonebook of the internet".
Types of records stored in a Name Server:
- Address record
- Name Server record
- Mail Exchanger record, etc.
Purpose of a Name Server: to connect URLs with IP addresses of web servers, with authority and responsibility for operation.

Name Resolver

A client software that maps a domain name to an IP address and vice versa.
2 types of Name Resolvers:
- Mapping a domain name to an address
- Mapping an address to a domain name
2 methods used for Name Resolvers:
- Recursive method
- Iterative method

How DNS Works

A DNS query involves 4 servers: Dns Recursor, Root Nameservers, Tld Nameservers, and Authoritative Nameservers.
Each server works together to provide the correct IP address to the client.

DNS Servers

DNS Recursor: a server designed to receive queries from client machines, responsible for making additional requests to satisfy the client's DNS query.
Root Nameservers: the first step in translating human-readable host names into IP addresses, serves as a reference to other more specific locations.
Tld Nameservers: hosts the last portion of a hostname, e.g., "com" in example.com.
Authoritative Nameservers: the final step in the search for a specific IP address, hosts the last portion of a hostname.

Evolution of the Web

The World Wide Web (WWW) refers to all public websites or pages that users can access on their local computers and other devices through the internet.
Web 1.0 (1989-2005): "The Static Web", a read-only web, primarily used for interactive structure.
Web 2.0 (2005+): "The Writable Web", a read-write web, marked a shift in how the World Wide Web was used, with social media, blogs, and wikis becoming popular.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist, created the World Wide Web in 1989.

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Description

Test your knowledge on DNS (Domain Name System) and domain names. Learn about the components of DNS, how domain names work, and the different parts of a domain.