Authoritative Nameserver The servers responsible for the most up-to-date DNS records for a domain name.

DNS Records The records kept on the nameservers that tell other machines online how to reach any given function of the domain.

Domain Name An alphanumeric name registered to an owner to point to email, web and other internet related services.

Local Resolution Nameservers used in an internet connection for the purpose of getting DNS information from authoritative nameservers.

Nameservers The machines which direct domain names to the IPs and servers that make them function. There are 2 ways nameservers are used. Authoritative nameservers keep the records for a given domain name which are the final authority on where it resides. Local resolution nameservers are the machines that look for a domain name when you try to access it through your ISP.

Notify Packet A message sent from the primary nameserver to the secondary nameservers in the NS records for the domain to tell them a new version exists.

NS Records Nameserver records which indicate which nameservers are responsible for the authoritative information about a given domain or IP range.

Primary Nameserver The nameserver on which the zone file is managed and updated.

Registrar Company that handles the process of registering a domain name and maintains the whois record and rootserver entries for it. Usually the company the domain was purchased through.

Registry The company that maintains the definitive list of domains registered for all registrars to work with.

Resolution The process by which a domain name points to the numeric address of the physical connection.

Root Servers The set of servers which keep the definitive record of what nameservers are responsible for what domains, as well as details of the domains' registration status, which is refered to by nameservers when looking up domain names.

Secondary Nameserver The authoriative nameservers which copy the zone file from the primary nameserver instead of haveing the changes made on them directly.

Serial Number The number stored in the SOA records for a domain indicating which version of the zone file it is.

SOA Records The Start Of Authority tells nameservers which nameserver is authoritative for the domain and contains information about how long to store information and other values which control how nameservers communicate about the domain.

Unpublished Primary A primary nameserver which does not answer requests for the domain publically, the zone file is only managed on it and then copied to the secondary nameservers which do answer publically for the domain.

Whois Record The file containing the ownership and contact information for a domain, as well as the nameservers authoritative for it. This record is maintained by the registrar of the domain, and filed with the root servers which are operated by the domain name registry.

Zone File The type of file that contains A records, SOA settings and other DNS information.