What Is DNS Hosting and Why Do You Need It?

When you enter a website address in your browser, such as www.example.com, you probably don't think about how the browser finds the right site in the vast ocean of the internet. Behind this simple operation lies a complex system called DNS (Domain Name System), which translates human-readable domain names into machine-readable IP addresses. In this article, we'll explore what DNS hosting is, why it's needed, and how it works.

DNS Hosting: What Is It?

DNS hosting is a service provided by hosting providers that are responsible for managing and maintaining the domain name system (DNS) for your website. The primary task of this hosting is to ensure the fast and reliable translation of your website's domain name into the corresponding IP address, allowing users to quickly find your site on the internet.

You need to set up DNS records when registering a domain to specify which servers will handle requests to access your website, email services, and other resources. DNS hosting provides the interface and tools to manage these records and ensures reliable storage and distribution across the network.

Key Functions:

1. Managing DNS Records: DNS hosting allows you to easily create and modify records such as A records, CNAME records, MX records, and others necessary for the proper functioning of your website and services.
2. Reliability and Speed: Hosting providers usually use distributed networks of DNS servers, ensuring high availability and fast processing of requests to your domain.
3. Protection Against DDoS Attacks: Many DNS hosting providers offer protection against DDoS attacks, helping to prevent your site from being overwhelmed and ensuring its stable operation.

To fully understand the role of DNS hosting, it's important to grasp how the DNS system works as a whole and what components are involved.

What is DNS?

DNS (Domain Name System) is a system that translates domain names, such as example.com, into IP addresses that computers can understand. An IP address is a unique set of numbers used to identify each device or server connected to the internet where a website is hosted. Simply put, DNS acts like the internet's phone book, matching domain names with corresponding IP addresses so that browsers can load the correct web pages.

What is a DNS Server?

A DNS server is a specialized server that stores information about domain names and their corresponding IP addresses. When you enter a website address into your browser, the server processes the request, finds the corresponding IP address, and directs you to the correct site.

What is a DNS Zone?

A DNS zone is a part of the DNS namespace managed by one server or a group of servers. A DNS zone contains information about domains and subdomains, as well as their associations with IP addresses. For example, a zone might include records for the domain example.com and its subdomains, such as blog.example.com and shop.example.com.

Key DNS Records

In the DNS system, there are several types of records:

• A Record (Address Record): Maps a domain name to an IPv4 address.
• AAAA Record (IPv6 Address Record): Maps a domain name to an IPv6 address.
• CNAME Record (Canonical Name Record): Indicates that a domain is an alias for another domain name.
• MX Record (Mail Exchange Record): Specifies the mail servers that handle email for the domain.
• TXT Record: Contains text information for the domain, often used for verification purposes.

These records allow you to manage traffic routing, email settings, and other critical functions of your site.

DNS Cache

A DNS cache is a temporary storage of information about domain names and IP addresses that is used to speed up network operations. When your computer requests an IP address for a domain name, it first checks if the necessary information is in the local cache. If it is, the request is processed faster because there's no need to query the server again.

Note that if you change the hosting for your site, the old IP address may remain in users' DNS caches, which will cause them to be directed to the old server instead of the new one.

To resolve the issue of outdated records, you can take the following steps:

• Set a short TTL (Time to Live);
• Plan the migration during periods of low activity;
• Inform users;
• Clear the DNS cache on local devices;
• Use a CDN.

Types of DNS Services

Authoritative DNS Server

An authoritative DNS server is responsible for providing accurate and final information about a domain and its records. It is the "master" of the data and ensures that all queries to the domain are handled correctly. For example, if a user requests the IP address for the domain example.com, the authoritative server will provide this address based on its records.

Recursive DNS Server

A recursive DNS server acts as an intermediary between the user and authoritative servers. When you enter a website address, the recursive server searches for the IP address by querying other DNS servers until it finds the necessary information. This type of server caches the obtained data to speed up the processing of future requests.

How is the Host File Useful?

The host file is a text file on your computer that can be used to map domain names to IP addresses, bypassing the DNS server. It is useful for local site testing or blocking access to certain resources.

FAQ

Is it necessary to use a DNS server?

Without a DNS server, browsers cannot translate domain names into IP addresses. As a result, the user will not be able to load all the necessary files to display the web resource.

What happens if the DNS server is disabled?

If the DNS server is disabled, accessing websites by domain names will be impossible. To ensure the stable operation of the internet, the server must remain constantly on.