Computing Atlas

How Computing Was Built
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

System

Domain Name System

Also Known As DNS
Network and Internet Systems

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical, distributed naming system that translates human readable domain names into the numerical IP addresses needed to locate computers and services on the Internet. It delegates naming authority to a distributed network of authoritative name servers, giving the Internet a scalable, fault tolerant naming infrastructure. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Year
1983 1
Significance
Created by Paul Mockapetris in 1983 at the University of Southern California, with specifications published by the IETF the same year as RFC 882 and RFC 883, it replaced the earlier centralized HOSTS.TXT host table system, enabling the Internet to scale far beyond what manual host table distribution could support. 1
Connections

Associated With

The Internet, Systems
Source Wikipedia: Domain Name System

In Field

Computer Networking, Fields
Source Wikipedia: Domain Name System

Invented By

Paul Mockapetris, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: Paul Mockapetris
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Domain Name System
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Opening paragraph, before Function section
    The Domain Name System has been an essential component of the functionality of the Internet since 1985.
  • History section, Mockapetris and RFC publication
  • History section, creation date
  • Introduction
  • In Field: Computer Networking
  • Associated With: The Internet, Opening paragraph, on Internet naming infrastructure
View the Source
Wikidata: Domain Name System
Wikidata Q8767, resolved via en.wikipedia pageprops (wave rule R-L)View the Source
Wikipedia: Paul Mockapetris
Wikimedia FoundationInvented By: Paul Mockapetris, IntroductionView the Source
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (FOLDOC): Domain Name System
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (FOLDOC)In Group: Internet Application Protocols, Definition
Quote, In Group: Internet Application Protocols, Definition
A general-purpose distributed, replicated, data query service chiefly used on Internet for translating hostnames into Internet addresses.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.