Today we will discover the DNS zone: what does it mean, what are the general types and what are the Domain Name System zone levels. So, if this sounds interesting to you and you want to learn more about it, you are on the right article. Let’s start!
DNS zone – Meaning
There are multiple DNS zones in the DNS. Furthermore, the DNS server you’re using is capable of managing several zones in the DNS namespace. So, a DNS zone is a subset of the DNS namespace that is managed by a single administrator. It is used as an organizational segment to provide you with more control over DNS features such as authoritative namespaces.
It would help if you directed your domain to multiple servers, including web servers, mail servers, and so on, in order for it to work correctly. Adding different types of Domain Name System records to the Domain Name System zone does this. All Domain Name System records are kept in the Domain Name System zone. It is also the sole component accountable for the Domain Name System’s existence (DNS).
General DNS zone types
We distinguish 3 main Domain Name System zone types. Here they are:
- Master DNS zone
The Master, also known as the Primary DNS zone, is the principal source of domain name information. The administrator has the power to read and/or write instructions as well as administer the domain name in this zone. As a result, any essential changes and alterations to your Domain Name System data (records) should be made in this Primary (Master) zone. All updates or modifications will be propagated to the Secondary (Slave) DNS servers and the rest of the network.
- Slave DNS zone
A Slave DNS zone, also known as a Secondary zone, is a simple read-only version of the Master zone, and it contains all of the Domain Name System data (records) you created there. It is frequently referred to as a Slave or Backup zone. It’s important to remember that records like A or AAAA records, MX records, and so on can’t be created directly in the Secondary zone. Instead, it uses a mechanism called DNS zone transfer to obtain all of the data from the Primary.
- Reverse DNS zone
The Reverse Domain Name System zone, like the Forward zone, is an administrative element of the domain name space that holds records. However, it accomplishes the opposite aim of connecting IP addresses to their associated domain names. It goes hand in hand with using Reverse DNS. This zone is also restricted, with just PTR, SOA, and NS records available.
What are the DNS zone levels?
Top-level domains (such as “.com”), second-level domains (such as “example.com”), and lower-level domains, often known as subdomains (such as “info.example.com”), are all defined by the Domain Name System (DNS). A zone can exist at each of these levels.
A Name Server storing a zone file, which holds the trusted, correct DNS records for that zone, exists at each hierarchical level (DNS Hierarchy) of the DNS system.
Conclusion
To sum up, The Domain Name System zone makes it more simple and more controllable to govern the complete Domain system namespace. Furthermore, there are three kinds of DNS zones: Master, Slave, and Reverse. As a result, your Domain Name System will be unable to function without them.