< networking > (DNS) A general-purpose distributed, replicated, data query service chiefly used on Internet for translating hostnames into Internet addresses . Also, the style of hostname used on the Internet, though such a name is properly called a fully qualified domain name . DNS can be configured to use a sequence of name servers, based on the domains in the name being looked for, until a match is found.
The name resolution client (e.g. Unix's gethostbyname() library function) can be configured to search for host information in the following order: first in the local /etc/hosts file, second in NIS and third in DNS. This sequencing of Naming Services is sometimes called "name service switching". Under Solaris is configured in the file /etc/nsswitch.conf.
DNS can be queried interactively using the command nslookup . It is defined in STD 13 , RFC 1034 , RFC 1035 , RFC 1591 .
BIND is a common DNS server.
Info from Virtual Office, Inc. .
(2001-05-14)