Do you understand the importance of Domain Names Servers? - By: carolyn

Whenever you spend time on the Internet whether you are browsing or sending an email you are making use of a domain name server without even being consciously aware of it. Even though the work done by a domain name server is hidden it is extremely important as without domain name servers the Internet would shut down very rapidly.

A domain name server acts as a phone book for the Internet by translating computer host names such as http://www.example.com into an IP address. Translating domain names into IP addresses sounds like a simple task but due to the fact there are billions of IP addresses currently in use and most computers have a human readable name as well as the fact there are a billions of DNS requests made every day, for example a single person can easily make a hundred or more DNS requests a day and domain names and IP addresses change daily as well as the fact millions of new domain names get created daily, this simple task can turn a lot more complicated than first anticipated. A domain name server is also a database but it is a database that is unlike any other as it gets many requests and has millions of people changing it everyday, which is what makes it unique.

Each domain name consists of two parts - the Mid Level Domain (MLD), and the Top Level Domain (TLD). The Mid Level Domain is the Ford in Ford.com, the Concrete-Home in Concrete-Home.com. This part of the domain name can consist of up to 63 characters in .com, .net, or .org domains. Only letters, numbers, or hyphens are permitted; no underbars, exclamation marks or periods. The Top Level Domain refers to the .com, .net, or .org part of the web address. It is the mid level domain name that these domain name servers work on and change into an IP address in order for your web site address request to be noted and found.

As well as being able to direct you to the website that you wish to visit, a domain name server, known in short as DNS also stores other information such as a list of mail servers that accept email for a given domain. By providing a worldwide keyword-based redirection service, the Domain Name System is an essential component of contemporary Internet use.

The Domain Name Server distributes the responsibility for assigning domain names and mapping them to IP networks by allowing an authoritative name server for each domain to keep track of its own changes, avoiding the need for a central register to be continually consulted and updated. Above all, the DNS makes it possible to assign domain names to organizations independent of the physical routing hierarchy represented by the numerical IP address. Because of this, hyperlinks and Internet contact information can remain the same, whatever the current IP routing arrangements may be, and can take a human-readable form (such as "example.com").

Domain name servers make it possible for us to use the Internet for browsing purposes, purchasing purposes and sending emails. Whatever you use the Internet for you will be using the help of a domain name server.

About the Author

Helen is the web master of Discount Domains, who are specialists in all of your Domain Name needs and all of your Domain Reselling needs.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/carolyn/17536

Additional Articles From - Home | Internet business | Web hosting