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Computing (FOLDOC) dictionary
Domain Name System
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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.