DNS

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the Internet protocol for mapping a hostname to its IP address. DNS allows users to enter more readily memorable and intuitive hostnames, rather than IP addresses, to identify devices connected to a network. It also allows a host to keep the same hostname even if it changes its IP address.

Hostname resolution can be either static or dynamic.

  • In static resolution, a local table is defined on the switch that associates hostnames with their IP addresses. Static tables can be used to speed up the resolution of frequently queried hosts.
  • Dynamic resolution requires that the switch query a DNS server located elsewhere on the network. Dynamic name resolution takes more time than static name resolution, but requires far less configuration and management.