DNS Server Configuration
CP 423
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Domain Name System
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The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical, distributed
database that maps logical host names to IP addresses.
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With DNS, users reference computers using logical hostnames
and those hostnames are translated to IP addresses using DNS
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A DNS server is responsible for performing this service on a
TCP/IP network.
Facts about DNS
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A DNS server holds a database of hostnames and their
corresponding IP addresses. Clients query the DNS
server to get the IP address of a given host.
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Prior to using DNS servers, name resolution used a
static file, called the HOSTS file, saved on each host
computer. The HOSTS file is still used, but is typically
only used in the absence of a DNS server.
Facts about DNS
The DNS hierarchy is made up of the following components:
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. (dot) domain (also called the root domain)
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Top Level Domains (TLDs) (.com, .edu, .gov)
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Second‐level (SLDs) and additional (Sub) domains
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Hosts
Facts about DNS
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A fully qualified domain name (FQDN) includes the host name and the name of
all domains back to root.
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DNS is a distributed database because no one server holds all of the DNS
information. Instead, multiple servers hold portions of the data.
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Each division of the database is held in a zone database file.
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Zones typically contain one or more domains, although additional
servers might hold information for child domains.
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DNS servers hold zone files and process name resolution requests
from client systems.
Facts about DNS
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A forward lookup uses the host name (or the FQDN) to find the IP address. A
reverse lookup uses the IP address to find the host name (or FQDN).
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Entries for hostnames, IP addresses, and other information in the zone database
are stored in records.
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The A record maps a host name to an IP address and is used for forward
lookups.
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The PTR record maps an IP address to a host name and is used for reverse
lookups.
The CNAME record provides an alternate name (an alias) for a host
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The SRV record identifies a service, such as an Active Directory domain
controller
Facts about DNS
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Records in the DNS database are created
manually, or dynamically using Dynamic DNS
(DDNS).
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With DDNS, hosts automatically register and
update their corresponding records with the DNS
server.
IP Resolution
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When a client computer needs to find the IP address for a
host name, the following process is used:
1. The client examines its HOSTS file for the IP address.
2. If the IP address is not in the HOSTS file, it examines its
local DNS cache for the IP address.
3. If the IP address is not in the cache, the client sends the
request to a DNS server.
Name Resolution
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When a DNS server receives a name resolution
request from a client, the following process is
used:
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0. The DNS server examines its local DNS cache
for the IP address.
Name Resolution
1. If the IP address is not in the server cache, it checks
its HOSTS file.
2. If the information is not in the HOSTS file, the server
checks any zones for which it is authoritative.
An authoritative server is a DNS server that has a full,
complete copy of all the records for a particular zone.
Name Resolution
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3. If the server does not host the zones for the requested information, it
uses one of the following processes:
If configured for forwarding, the DNS server forwards the
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name resolution request to another DNS server. The DNS server
waits for a response from the other DNS server.
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If configured for recursion (also called referral), the DNS
server queries root domain servers, top‐level domain servers,
and other DNS servers in an iterative manner until it find the
DNS server that hosts the target domain.
Name Resolution
For example, to resolve the host name www.microsoft.com:
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1. The server queries a root server for the .com server.
2. It then queries the .com server for the microsoft.com server.
3. It then queries the microsoft.com DNS server for the www host information
4. After the information is found or received from another server, the
DNS server returns the result to the client, and places the information in its
server cache
Name Resolution
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A caching‐only DNS server has no zone
information; it is not authoritative for any domains.
It uses information in its server cache, or
forwarding or recursion, to respond to client
queries.
DNS Server Configuration
