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The Internet name system is the Domain Name System (DNS), a distributed, hierarchical system that lets computers and applications find records associated with domain names. A common use is looking up an IP address for a name so a device can connect to the relevant service, but DNS also stores other kinds of records.
What is the Internet name system?
DNS is a globally distributed naming database. It connects human-readable domain names, such as www.example.com, to information that software can use. That information often includes an IP address, but describing DNS as only a directory that translates website names into addresses leaves out its other records and uses.
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DNS is hierarchical: different servers are responsible for different levels of the naming structure. No single machine holds every domain record.
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When a device needs a DNS record, it typically asks a recursive resolver. The resolver can return a usable answer from its cache; otherwise, it follows referrals through the DNS hierarchy until it reaches a server responsible for the requested domain.
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- The client asks a resolver. An application or device requests the record for a name such as
www.example.com. - The resolver checks its cache. If it has a usable cached record, it can return it without querying the hierarchy again.
- The resolver follows referrals if needed. The root directs it to the relevant top-level domain (TLD) service, such as
.com. The TLD service directs it to the authoritative DNS service forexample.com. - The authoritative service supplies the requested record. It returns the record for
www.example.com, which may include an IP address. - The resolver returns and may cache the answer. Caching follows the record’s time-to-live (TTL), after which the cached information is no longer considered usable.
The root, TLD, and authoritative servers are separate roles in one lookup, not one server handing off a complete list of the Internet’s domains. Because resolvers cache answers, a lookup does not necessarily contact a root server each time.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who operates the Internet name system?
DNS operation is distributed among organizations with different responsibilities. ICANN coordinates aspects of the global naming system and root zone, but it does not run every DNS service. TLD registries operate services for their respective top-level domains; registrars handle domain registration for many TLDs; and domain registrants or their DNS providers manage records for individual domains.
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What does “13 root servers” mean?
ICANN’s Root Server System page, accessed in 2026, says 12 independent operators manage 13 root identities, represented by more than 1,500 individual servers that provide identical root-zone information. The count of 13 refers to identities, not to 13 physical machines.
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What to remember about DNS
- DNS is a distributed database of domain-related records, often including IP addresses.
- Its hierarchy includes root, TLD, and authoritative server roles.
- A recursive resolver can use cached information, so not every lookup traverses the whole hierarchy.
- Many organizations operate different parts of DNS; ICANN coordinates important naming functions but does not run the entire system.
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