Technical Library

Domain Name System

Introduction

Integration

The InterNIC has the authority to allocate domains. To get a domain, you would apply to the InterNIC for authority to create a domain under one of the top-level domains. Once the domain is created, you can create additional domains under your registered domain, called subdomains.

Using a Subdomain
How to use a subdomain to your advantage.

The programs that store information about the domain name space are called name servers. Name servers have complete information for a specific part of the name space, called a zone. A name server that has the complete information, is said to be authoritative for that zone. It is possible for a name server to be authoritative for more than one zone.

A zone contains the domain names and their data, with the exception of the domain names and data delegated, or assigned, to another name server. Therefore, a name server only has complete information for the zone(s) it is authoritative for.

An organization administering a domain may divide it into subdomains. Each of these subdomains can be delegated to other organizations. Delegation refers to assigning responsibility for a subdomain to another organization. The organization that the subdomain has been delegated to becomes responsible for maintaining all the data for that subdomain. They may change the data and divide their subdomain up into more subdomains and delegate those if they wish as well.

To keep track of where subdomains have been delegated there will be NS records in the data. They point to the name servers authoritative for that subdomain, instead of containing the information about the subdomain. The authoritative name server is where you will find the data for the subdomain.