DNS (Domain Name System) – Cheat Sheet – Part-1 v1

Key Attributes
Protocol Type: Layer7 Protocol (Application Layer)
Purpose: Name to IP conversion
Standard: Current: RFC1034/1035 (1987), First: RFC882/883 (1983)
Structure: Hierarchical
Founder: Paul V. Mockapetris
Carrier Protocol: TCP, UDP
Port: TCP53 (for Zone Transfer), UDP53 (for DNS Queries)
Protocol Model Type: Client/Server Model

DNS Working (with example)

(.) Root Name Server

I don’t know, please go

What is the IP of What is the IP of y
Query
to .com NS
google.com?
google.com? u
Referral

I don’t know, please go

e
Query i to google.com NS
Query
TLD Name Server
Referral
q Answer r o (e.g. .com.)

w
Local Cache d t DNS Resolver
Local Cache
Client a Query
√ IP of google.com is sAnswer
8.8.8.8 I know, IP is 8.8.8.8
Authoritative Name
www.atechacademy.com
Server (e.g. google.com.)
Recursive Iterative
Query Queries

*Recursive Query means: I will definitely *Iterative Query means: I will try.
answer you; no matter wherever I have to go. Either I will give you answer OR I will refer
OR I will tell you clearly that I do not know you to someone who can answer
www.atechacademy.com

DNS Server Types

A DNS Server that has the original source files of a domain zone files & doesn’t need to go any other Database. Primary Auth DNS
Authoritative Server has Full Read/Write Access while Secondary Auth DNS Server has Read-Only Access

A DNS Server that does NOT have the original source files of a domain zone files & either depends on its cache or need to go any other
Non-Authoritative Database for final/auth answer. Also called Cache-Only DNS Server
www.atechacademy.com

Domain Name Types DNS Query Types

Fully Qualified Domain Name: Contains full name of a Host. It is
FQDN terminated by NULL string. e.g. www.atechacademy.com.
q Recursive w Iterative e Inverse
Partially Qualified Domain Name: Starts from a node but doesn’t Queries Queries Queries
PQDN reach Root. It is NOT terminated by NULL string e.g. www.atech
If the DNS server cannot resolve a query, If the DNS server cannot resolve a query, Used to resolve the IP Address to a FQDN
it sends query to other DNS Servers on it sends a referral to another server
www.atechacademy.com behalf of the DNS Client. message to the resolver.
This is generally used by Clients Generally used by Servers

Visit our ATech website & Social Media Channels for more FREE resources:
ATech Academy ATech Academy ATech Academy
✓ Free Cheatsheets, Interview Questions & Answers, Quiz,…
✓ Free Labs (Packet Tracer, GNS3), Free Video Lectures (including CCNA)
Your Feedback, Comments are always Welcomed: info@atechacademy.com
www.atechacademy.com (Author: Waqas Karim)

© www.aurumme.com/Atech