Scribd
Upload
22 views

2.6 DNS Configuration

The document discusses DNS configuration and records. It explains that DNS translates domain names to IP addresses using a hierarchical system with root servers and top-level domains. Common record types include A records for IP addresses, MX records for mail servers, and TXT records for text data. It also describes protocols like SPF and DKIM that use DNS records to help validate the authenticity of email senders.

Uploaded by

poopypants546332
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
22 views

2.6 DNS Configuration

The document discusses DNS configuration and records. It explains that DNS translates domain names to IP addresses using a hierarchical system with root servers and top-level domains. Common record types include A records for IP addresses, MX records for mail servers, and TXT records for text data. It also describes protocols like SPF and DKIM that use DNS records to help validate the authenticity of email senders.

Uploaded by

poopypants546332
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

2.

6 DNS Configuration
October 16, 2023 12:28 PM

Domain Name System


• Translates human-readable names into computer-readable IP addresses
• DNS is not a stand alone server, multiple servers at play
○ they work in a hierarchical approach
• Distributed Database
○ Mand DNS servers
○ 13 root server clusters (over 1,000 actual servers)
○ Hundreds of generic top-level domains (gTLDs) - .com, .org, .net, etc.
○ Over 275 country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) - .us, .ca, .uk, etc.

DNS Lookup
• 'dig'

• 'nslookup'

DNS Records
• Resource Records (RR)
○ The database records of domain name services
○ Over 30 different record types
▪ IP addresses, certificates, host alias names, etc.
• Address Records (A) (AAAA)
○ Define the IP address of a host
▪ Most popular query
○ A records are for IPv4 addresses
▪ Modify the A record to change the most name to IP address resolution
○ AAAA records are for IPv6 addresses
▪ Same DNS server, different records

• Mail Exchanger Record (MX)


○ Determines the host name for the mail server
▪ Isn't an IP address; it's a name
○ Needs 2 servers, MX server and A server
▪ MX server points to A server
▪ Then you would look at A record for the name

• Text Records (TXT)


○ Human-readable text information
▪ Useful public information
▪ Originally designed for information
○ Can be used for verification purposes

New Section 2 Page 1


○
▪ If you have access to the DNS, then you must be the admin of the domain
name
○ Commonly used for email security
▪ External domain servers validate information from your DNS

• Sender Policy Framework (SPF)


○ SPF Protocol
▪ List of all servers authorized to send emails for this domain
□ Makes sure that the email really came from where it said it did
▪ Prevent mail spoofing
▪ Mail servers perform a check to see if incoming mail really did come from an
authorized host

• Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM)


○ Digitally sign a domain's outgoing mail
▪ Validated by the mail servers, not usually seen by the end user
▪ Public key is the DKIM TXT record
• DMARC (Domain-based Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)
○ What to do with the messages if the verification fails
▪ Prevent unauthorized email use (spoofing)
▪ An extension of SPF and DKIM
○ You decide what external email servers should do with email that don't validate
through SPF or DKIM
▪ Policy is written into a DMARX TXT record
▪ Accept all, send to spam, or reject the email
▪ Compliance reports can be sent to the email administrator

New Section 2 Page 2

You might also like