In this article, we will talk about DNS, its great importance in the world of technology, and how the decision to monitor DNS can make a difference for your business.
If you've heard about the relevance of DNS monitoring but aren't sure what this acronym means, don't worry, we'll explain the concept as well.
In summary, by the end of reading this article, you will have a good understanding of DNS servers and understand their functionality.
Stay tuned for upcoming topics to find out what DNS is, how it helps you use the Internet, and how to use it.
What is DNS?
The acronym DNS comes from the English Domain Name System, that is, Domain Name System. Its primary function is to translate website addresses that are typed into browsers into IP (Internet Protocol) numbers.
It is a distributed resource for computers and any resources connected to the Internet that transforms domain names into IP addresses.
DNS allows us to remember only the domain name of the website we want to access and not a numerical sequence with several digits, which would make it very difficult to remember.
Imagine having to memorize number sequences for all the websites you use daily. It would be a lot harder, right?
This translation system allows websites to create names that are easy to remember, often related to the name of the institution or company they represent.
This way, internet users have no difficulty when they need to access any page they want.
If it were necessary to memorize the IP address of the server where each site is hosted, it would be much more complicated to access the sites, as a single exchange of numbers would prevent the viewing of the desired content.
In addition, we would only be able to memorize a few number sequences, meaning we would have access to far fewer sites than we have when thinking about domain names.
Therefore, the DNS has a fundamental role and for the same reason it is important to think of ways to monitor it.
How does DNS work?
Whenever you type the domain name of the page you want to access in your browser's address bar, DNS kicks in by locating the IP address and translating it.
That is, there is a transposition of the domain name that integrates the URL to the IP address, numerical sequence, of the server of the website you want to access.
Due to this action, it is possible to access any website on the Internet through the domain name.
An interesting analogy is the contact list we have on our cell phones. We were able to locate the contact and call the person just by looking for their name in the list. We don't need to memorize the number sequence corresponding to each person's phone number.
The correspondence between a person's name and their telephone number is similar to how DNS works.
The IP address is unique for every server on the Internet. Thus, each domain name can only be directed to a specific IP. In other words, it is not possible to have two different sites with the same URLs.
Therefore, DNS servers are spread around the world with the objective of translating the typed addresses to the corresponding IP number.
And that's why many companies are also concerned about monitoring the DNS to ensure that its function is being fulfilled perfectly.
DNS management
There is a global coordination that has the function of guaranteeing the correct functioning of the IP and DNS address system.
Its aim is to avoid decentralized assignment of IP addresses and to enable a single server or device worldwide to match each IP address.
The responsible for this coordination is the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), which in Portuguese means Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
It is a non-profit organization located in the United States, whose main task is to keep all websites registered and fully operational.
ICANN manages domain names according to a hierarchy, with responsibility for each domain being assigned according to that hierarchy.
According to this name structure, we can identify, for example, domains that contain the “.br” as corresponding to Brazilian sites.
In Brazil, NIC.br (Ponto BR Information and Coordination Nucleus) is the manager of Internet addresses.
Information about domains and address queries can be found at https://registro.br/. Currently, Brazil has approximately 4,135,400 registered domains.
For all these sites to work satisfactorily, the DNS needs to be fully operational, hence the demand from those responsible for sites for ways to monitor DNS.
Why monitor DNS?
As you already know, DNS is essential for accessing so many websites available on the Internet. So, you need to ensure its efficiency.
That's why there is a growing concern about monitoring DNS. The objective is to know if your task is being carried out at full speed or if there is a problem.
Even though the DNS server is essential for using the internet, there may be some failure in its functioning. By monitoring DNS, we were able to detect these possible failures.
If you detect a connection problem or poor performance on your website, the first step to solve the problem is to monitor the DNS.
If you detect a failure during this monitoring, you can modify your DNS settings to have the best server.
You can do DNS tests with tools like the namebench, powered by Google. Find out how to do this by clicking here.
At the end of the tests, you can do a DNS reconfiguration, according to which servers have the best performance.
It is important to redo the DNS test frequently to verify that its performance is holding up. This check frequency can be said to be the act of monitoring DNS.
Monitoring DNS for the best server performance makes sense especially when your company has a website or blog. And even more so if you work with e-commerce.
Indirectly, by monitoring the DNS, you favor your website's user experience, as navigability is better.
Consequently, your user is more satisfied and this contributes to the retention and relationship with the customer, in addition, of course, to increased sales.
Final considerations
Certainly, by reading this article, you have learned the importance of DNS and that it cannot be treated as an invisible tool, meaning it is important to monitor it.
With this practice, you can invest in improving your website's connection and retaining your users, as well as gaining other potential customers.
Finally, by monitoring DNS, you make an indirect investment in your company's prosperity. If you are interested in the translation work done by the DNS server, how about reading our article on website domain? Happy reading and until the next article
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