What you need to know about domain name servers

Believe it or not, domain names are not at all needed to access a website. One reason for this is that regardless of their presence, sites could be accessed via their IP address.

An IP address is a numerical 32-bit identifier that shows the particular machine a site is on. However, humans have a problem with such numbers (as it comes in 4 octet series) as they are extremely difficult to remember. This is one reason for the existence of domain names. Using a domain name, anyone could access any website using a phrase or word.

For domain names to function, they need to utilize domain name servers or DNS. These are computers which store information which pertains to IP addresses and domain names. This is done via reverse mapping. Once a domain name is typed in, a DNS or domain name server will locate its corresponding IP address within a directory service. It also corresponds with other types of domain name services in order to check if they have solid knowledge of the IP address. This is referred to as a distributed database process because no entity is officially responsible to have the information updated on domain name servers.

Is there a way for a computer to be converted to a DNS or domain name server? Essentially, it has to operate DNS software. The basic DNS software is referred to as BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain). This specific DNS software functions in a stratified fashion. The start of the hierarcy consists of the " character. This is regarded as the system’s root. Underneath this are domain name extensions .com, .biz, .org.

Also, a domain name server need to possess client computers to assist in its proper operation. Such client computers are referred to as resolvers and nameservers. The latter is responsible for searching the IP address of a domain name. Meanwhile, resolvers store nameservers list online. It is this list which is then used to communicate such nameservers if ever the IP address of a domain name is not stored in the initial DNS.

Would it be best if a web hosting company invests in a domain name server? The answer would depend on how big an operation is. Small scale web hosting companies will highly likely not receive much from that specific investment. But if a firm wants to acquire the kind of status which GoDaddy.com has achieved, it might be worth it to spend the money. Essentially, companies could acquire domain name servers from various enterprises which sell traditional servers.

All in all, a domain name server could be considered as the core of domain name operations. In its absence, there is no way a specific domain name will be related to an IP address.

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