Source: https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-dns/
====== DNS ======
Domain Name System is the "phonebook of the Internet". It associates domain names with [[ip-address|ip addresses]]. 

The unique perk of DNS is the ability to set up a distributed service. Users refer to the nearest DNS server, so different users can receive different resolutions for the same domain name.

The servers involved in resolving the domain name:
  - DNS recursor (for example, ISP)
  - Root nameserver
  - TLD nameserver (it hosts the last portion of the hostname)
  - Authoritative nameserver
  
{{ :dns-root-server.png?direct&800 |}}

Nodes contain caches, so it's not always necessary to contact the authorative nameserver.