Definition: domain name system

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Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (2003-OCT-10) 

Domain Name System

   <networking> (DNS) A general-purpose distributed, replicated,
   data query service chiefly used on Internet for translating
   hostnames into Internet addresses.  Also, the style of
   hostname used on the Internet, though such a name is
   properly called a fully qualified domain name.  DNS can be
   configured to use a sequence of name servers, based on the
   domains in the name being looked for, until a match is found.

   The name resolution client (e.g. Unix's gethostbyname()
   library function) can be configured to search for host
   information in the following order: first in the local
   /etc/hosts file, second in NIS and third in DNS.  This
   sequencing of Naming Services is sometimes called "name
   service switching".  Under Solaris is configured in the file
   /etc/nsswitch.conf.

   DNS can be queried interactively using the command nslookup.
   It is defined in STD 13, RFC 1034, RFC 1035, RFC 1591.

   BIND is a common DNS server.

   Info from Virtual Office, Inc..

   (2001-05-14)