DNS Structural Elements and Terminology

Now that we've reviewed the fundamentals of the DNS name space, let's look at its structure in more detail. At the same time, I'll define the many different terms used to refer to parts of the DNS domain name hierarchy.

DNS Tree-Related Terminology

As I explained in the previous section, the DNS name structure is shaped somewhat like a tree. The comparison between structured elements and trees is a common one in networking. The main difference between technology and biology is that DNS trees grow from the top down, instead of reaching for the sky. The analogy to a tree naturally leads to the use of several tree-related terms in describing the DNS name structure, some of which are illustrated in Figure 53-2 ...

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