Root Server DNS

If you are interested in the topic Online Marketing and especially SEO, you can't avoid these terms. But don't worry, I'll be happy to explain them to you in detail.

What is a root server?

A root server is a central component of the Domain Name System (DNS), which has the task of forwarding queries for specific domains to the correct IP addresses. More precisely, a root server is a DNS server in the highest hierarchy level of the DNS.

The DNS is basically like the Internet's phone book. It associates domain names such as "example.com" with the corresponding IP addresses so that your Browser knows which computer to send the request to in order to load the desired web page.

How does the root server work?

The DNS works hierarchically. At the beginning of the hierarchy are the so-called root servers. These are a total of 13 servers worldwide, 10 of which are located in the USA. These root servers manage the distribution of the other DNS entries and are, so to speak, the heads from which everything starts.

For example, if you want to access a website like "example.com", your computer first asks the nearest DNS server, which in turn requests the information from the corresponding root server if it has not already stored it in its cache.

Basically, there is then a step-by-step descent through the DNS hierarchy: top-level domain, second-level domain, Subdomainetc. Until the IP address of the desired website is finally found and the connection can be established.

What is the root server used for?

The root server plays a central role in the current global DNS system. It ensures stability and protection against attacks on this global system. All DNS queries ultimately start at one of the 13 root servers. Therefore, it is extremely important that these servers function smoothly and are fail-safe.

Here are the main features of the root server:

• Monitoring, control and forwarding of DNS requests
• Delegation of requests to the appropriate nameserver of the top-level domains (TLDs)
• Retention of the central root zone files
• Updates and restarts of the root server

The ability of a Root Server DNS process requests quickly and efficiently plays an important role in the overall performance and availability of the Internet.

Summary

The Root Server DNS are at the top of the DNS hierarchy. They are responsible for forwarding DNS requests and ensuring that your Browser finds the IP address of the desired website. Since they are the foundation of the global DNS system, it is of utmost importance that these servers work efficiently and are fail-safe.

I hope you now have a better understanding of what a Root Server DNS and what functions it fulfills. If you are looking for more information on this topic, feel free to check out our Online Marketing Magazine over.