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One of the important things to be reminded of when it comes to DNS was the necessity of its property as an open source; this is to say that the DNS has to be fault free and can be trusted by the Internet community.
Another important function of the DNS is its ability to provide a convenient solution to addressing. Given that the number of network users are increasing, the DNS is able to come up with an easier means of identification instead of using the IP addres of the computer. IP addressses are usually made up of a unique 32-bit number in dotted decimal form which was translated by the “HOSTS.TXT” table. The DNS therefore prevented the table from going through an overcapacity by effective functioning.
How the DNS works is significantly due to its essence as a hierarchical name space; hence, there is the top-level domains (TLDs), the second level domains, and so on. When the Internet was at the period of early developments, the identified TLDs depended on the name of the organization such as .arpa, .csnet, .bitnet and .uucp which were the four main organization-networks that were internetworked. Eventually, in 1986, these four groups, along with Postel and Mockapetris, initially came up with 7 TLDs: .com, .net, .org, .edu, gov, .mil and .int. These TLDs are assigned according to the function of a certain group or organization; the next chapters will explain further on these TLDs.
After the identification of a top level domain name, the second level domain name further identifies the uniqueness of an address. These second level domain name are therefore unique. For example, a number of organizations may share a .com, but only one of them will own a specific name following the .com; for example, there is only one yahoo.com and google.com. At this point, there is already a specfication of a domain although further specifying a domain is necessary as a user further navigates this specific domain. Hence, there is also the third level domain which specifies a series of other areas. At this point, it is possible that a domain already stops at third level since the created pyramid of hierarcy already allows the creation of unique paths without replicating another. The third level domain can therefore identify functions, geographical or other organization of any portion of the name space.
With this pyramid, the apex of the DNS already established thirteen root servers with each of these servers listing the IP addresses of the computers that contain the zone files fr each of the top level domain names. The hierarchy therefore makes it possible for the processing of the name-to-number distribution since there is no single central server that serves as a reference point of translation unlike the former centralized and “HOSTS.TXT” system. What happens is that through the DNS, when a user enters a query into the computer, the user “starts” at the bottom of the pyramid where a series of identification, through the entered domain name, becomes a means to create a direct path that goes through the computer of a specific domain. Hence, for example, if a user looks for the email page of the website of yahoo.com, the entered domain name identifies the .com as a commercial address (top level), and the proceeding relay of information takes place within yahoo.com instead of going through a centralized server. As a result, the hierarchy is able to identify the corresponding IP address that is specific within a certain domain.
dns-picDomain Name Space Workflow
(image from ‘Domain Name Space’, Wikipedia)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
‘Domain Name System (DNS) History’. 2008. Living Internet. [Online] Available at:
http://www.livinginternet.com/i/iw_dns_history.htm
Weinberg , J. 2000. ‘ICANN and the Problem of Legitimacy’. Duke Law Journal,
vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 187 +
Another important function of the DNS is its ability to provide a convenient solution to addressing. Given that the number of network users are increasing, the DNS is able to come up with an easier means of identification instead of using the IP addres of the computer. IP addressses are usually made up of a unique 32-bit number in dotted decimal form which was translated by the “HOSTS.TXT” table. The DNS therefore prevented the table from going through an overcapacity by effective functioning.
How the DNS works is significantly due to its essence as a hierarchical name space; hence, there is the top-level domains (TLDs), the second level domains, and so on. When the Internet was at the period of early developments, the identified TLDs depended on the name of the organization such as .arpa, .csnet, .bitnet and .uucp which were the four main organization-networks that were internetworked. Eventually, in 1986, these four groups, along with Postel and Mockapetris, initially came up with 7 TLDs: .com, .net, .org, .edu, gov, .mil and .int. These TLDs are assigned according to the function of a certain group or organization; the next chapters will explain further on these TLDs.
After the identification of a top level domain name, the second level domain name further identifies the uniqueness of an address. These second level domain name are therefore unique. For example, a number of organizations may share a .com, but only one of them will own a specific name following the .com; for example, there is only one yahoo.com and google.com. At this point, there is already a specfication of a domain although further specifying a domain is necessary as a user further navigates this specific domain. Hence, there is also the third level domain which specifies a series of other areas. At this point, it is possible that a domain already stops at third level since the created pyramid of hierarcy already allows the creation of unique paths without replicating another. The third level domain can therefore identify functions, geographical or other organization of any portion of the name space.
With this pyramid, the apex of the DNS already established thirteen root servers with each of these servers listing the IP addresses of the computers that contain the zone files fr each of the top level domain names. The hierarchy therefore makes it possible for the processing of the name-to-number distribution since there is no single central server that serves as a reference point of translation unlike the former centralized and “HOSTS.TXT” system. What happens is that through the DNS, when a user enters a query into the computer, the user “starts” at the bottom of the pyramid where a series of identification, through the entered domain name, becomes a means to create a direct path that goes through the computer of a specific domain. Hence, for example, if a user looks for the email page of the website of yahoo.com, the entered domain name identifies the .com as a commercial address (top level), and the proceeding relay of information takes place within yahoo.com instead of going through a centralized server. As a result, the hierarchy is able to identify the corresponding IP address that is specific within a certain domain.
dns-picDomain Name Space Workflow
(image from ‘Domain Name Space’, Wikipedia)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
‘Domain Name System (DNS) History’. 2008. Living Internet. [Online] Available at:
http://www.livinginternet.com/i/iw_dns_history.htm
Weinberg , J. 2000. ‘ICANN and the Problem of Legitimacy’. Duke Law Journal,
vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 187 +
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