Definition[]
A domain name server (DNS server) is a computer system that translates domain names to IP addresses.
Overview[]
The DNS server is the “phonebook” of the Internet. It maintains directories that match IP addresses with registered domain names and resolve the text that people understand (the domain name) into a format that devices understand (the IP address).
As illustrated below, My PC sends a request for the location of “www.nist.gov.” The DNS server responds with the assigned IP address of “129.6.13.23.” My PC then requests to display data from IP address 129.6.13.23, the computer on the Internet that hosts the nist.gov website.