DNS can mean Domain Name Service/System/Server. DNS is the internet service that
changes/translates domain names into IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. An
example IP address is 219.45.87.123 (this is someone.com’s IP address – type it
into your browser address bar and you will be directed to someone.com’s web
site). Because the Internet uses IP addresses to locate web sites but humans
would have a hard time remembering long strings of numbers domain name are based
upon easy to use letters. Most people would find it easier to remember
someone.com than 209.92.33.170 since the number string is long and doesn’t
denote any meaning.
Each time you type in a domain name a DNS service will translate the domain name
into the corresponding IP address.
The DNS system is its own network (a group of computers linked together). A
request to translate a domain name into an IP number starts on the computer you
are using and continues (asking other computers on the network) until it finds
the correct IP address is found. There are several root servers at the top of
this network that ultimately know how to translate any domain name into an IP
address. There are a lot of computers which hold information about domain name
service and they typically cache (or remember) how to translate a domain name to
an IP after they have figured it out once.
Domain name service not only applies to domain names but also helps e-mail to
find the correct computer it is supposed to reach.
