{"id":58481,"date":"2025-07-29T17:38:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T09:38:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crazydomains.com\/learn\/?p=58481"},"modified":"2025-07-29T17:39:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T09:39:02","slug":"what-is-dns-server","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crazydomains.co.nz\/learn\/what-is-dns-server\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a DNS Server: Everything You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whenever you search for website domain names, like \u2018google.com\u2019 or \u2018freeparking.co.nz,\u2019 in your web browser\u2019s address bar, a particular type of server is responsible for finding the correct IP address for the requested website or domain name.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This server is nothing but the DNS (Domain Name System) Server that acts as the World Wide Web\u2019s address book or repository\u2014containing IP addresses of each website present on the internet.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Browsers require these IP addresses to communicate with the CDN edge servers or origin to access the original website and present it on the user\u2019s browser.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This blog will learn more about the purpose and role of DNS Servers, along with other essential details.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is a DNS? A Brief Introduction\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

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It\u2019s essential to understand what a Domain Name System is before understanding its role and answering the question of what a DNS Server is.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Domain Name System is a system that holds records of IP addresses and domain names. It allows browsers to find the correct IP address corresponding to the entered hostname URL.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every device on the internet has its unique IP address for identification according to the IPv4 or IPv6 protocols. The same is the case with web servers that host websites on the internet.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hence, web browsers require the exact IP address of a particular website or domain name, like \u2018xyz.com\u2019 to load the content. This is where DNS plays a part in translating the domain names to the IP addresses\u2014enabling the content and resources to load from the website\u2019s server to the web browser.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the Purpose of DNS Servers<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The DNS Server sits between humans and computers. Its main purpose is to translate what a user types in their web browser into something that a computer can understand to locate the requested website.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In simple terms, the purpose of a DNS Server is to convert a domain name, like \u2018<\/span>www.example.nz<\/span><\/a>,\u2019 into an IP address, like 172.101.3.115.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s much easier to remember a hostname or domain name, like \u2018google.com,\u2019 instead of a random combination of numbers or the site\u2019s IP address.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, DNS Servers eliminate the need for memorizing such long and complex IP addresses. It\u2019s the server\u2019s job to map the hostname you enter with its respective IP address and load the content you need.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Websites sometimes have multiple IP addresses for a single domain name. For instance, large websites like Google have users requesting or querying a server from different parts of the world. So, for example, a query from New York will have a different IP from a query from London, even if both users enter the same site name into their browsers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is where DNS caching plays an important role.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is DNS Caching?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

DNS caching involves storing the DNS data in the DNS records closer to the requesting user or client\u2014making it easier to resolve any query much faster and earlier.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

DNS caching prevents the problem of additional queries going further down in the chain and improves the website\u2019s page loading speed, reducing bandwidth consumption.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The DNS cache stores the DNS records for a specific period called Time to Live or TTL. TTL determines how recent or fresh the DNS records are and whether they correctly match the recent updates to the IP addresses.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can either do the DNS caching at the browser or the Operating System (OS) level.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Browser Level DNS Caching<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Web browsers store the DNS records for a fixed period; hence, it\u2019s the first place that\u2019s checked whenever there\u2019s a user request.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since it\u2019s in the browser, this caching involves fewer steps in checking the DNS cache and making the request to an IP address. Each subsequent user request to the same website is served from the browser cache, eliminating the need for performing a new DNS lookup each time.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Operating System (OS) Level DNS Caching<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Once the DNS request leaves a user\u2019s machine, it looks for the IP address match at the operating level system next.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many operating systems have a cache for storing the DNS data and information, managed by its network stack, and used by all the applications within the system, not just browsers.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It uses the \u201cstub resolver\u201d process to check the operating system\u2019s DNS cache and see if the DNS record is present. If it\u2019s not present, it sends the query or the request outside the local network to the Internet Service Provider or ISP.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s worth noting that both the operating system and browser level caching types are transparent to the user and take place automatically.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How Does a DNS Server Work?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

DNS query is the act of entering a domain name into the web browser. Finding the respective or corresponding IP address is known as DNS resolution.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A DNS Server\u2019s primary purpose is to resolve DNS queries. They\u2019re categorized into three types:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recursive query <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

When a DNS client makes a recursive query to a DNS Server, it asks the server to find and return the answer to its query. Hence, the DNS server must respond with the requested DNS resource record.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this type of query, the DNS Server either responds with the answer or with a referral to another DNS Server until it finds the answer. If it can\u2019t find the answer or the record, the server shows an error message to the DNS client.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Non-recursive query\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

A non-recursive query happens when the requested resource if the requested resource or answer is available, either because it\u2019s stored in a cache or because the server is authoritative.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here, the DNS client asks the server to find the best answer instead of just finding an answer.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Iterative query\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

In iterative queries, the DNS client continues requesting a response from not one but multiple DNS Servers until it finds or returns the best answer or an error timeout occurs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If the DNS Server can\u2019t find a match to the requested query, it\u2019ll refer to an authoritative DNS Server for the lower level of the domain namespace. The DNS client then queries this referral address until the process continues with the additional DNS Servers.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The recursive queries are the most commonly used in practice as the client simply needs to ask for the answer to their query. The DNS Server is responsible for processing and finding the solution.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019ve seen the different DNS queries let\u2019s see the different types of DNS Servers.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are the Different Types of DNS Servers?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

A DNS query passes through the different data centre servers for a resolution without end-user interaction.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the different DNS Server types through which the query is processed:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n