What is a DNS Server?
A DNS server, or Domain Name System server, is a server that stores domain-related information and translates a domain name into an IP address The DNS server acts as a communication interface between our computers’ domain name and the IP address of a web server hosting the website.
For example, if you are looking to access a website, a DNS server is the bridge between the domain name of the website and its IP address. Every time you type in a domain name, the DNS server will first check if the domain is valid, then it will retrieve the IP address from its database and send it to the browser.
DNS servers are also important for sending emails and for transferring data between different networks. They provide a way for computers to find each other and communicate over the Internet by keeping a record of a domain name and its associated IP address.
The five best examples of DNS software are:
1. BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain) – BIND is the most widely used DNS server solution and is available for Linux, Unix and Windows platforms. It is a high-performance open-source DNS server with many features such as support for dynamic updates, recursive query caching and more.
2. Microsoft DNS Server – This is the Microsoft's own DNS server and is available for Windows and Windows Server. It is a robust solution for easily managing, monitoring and troubleshooting DNS zones. It also supports LDAP and Active Directory.
3. PowerDNS – PowerDNS is an open-source DNS server that is designed to be scalable and highly available. It has support for features such as recursive and authoritative query processing, advanced caching and more.
4. MaraDNS – MaraDNS is an open-source DNS server that is simple to configure, secure and fast. It has support for multiple protocols, including DNSSEC and IPv6, and includes caching and a recursive server.
5. NSD – NSD is a fast, secure and open-source DNS server that is designed to be used in authoritative mode. It supports DNSSEC and has many features such as IPv6 support, easy configuration and more.
Overall, DNS servers are essential for Internet communication and the five above are some of the best software solutions out there. They are reliable, secure and easy to configure, making them ideal for organizations of any size.