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DNS Resolution#

But where is this information kept? What's actually being referenced when a client looks up the location of upload.academy?

Here's the process:

  1. Your (local) DNS client looks in the local cache of DNS information for upload.academy and does not find it
  2. Your computer then goes to the root DNS nameserver and asks it, "Where can I find information on .academy?"
  3. The root DNS server replies and tells your DNS client the IP address of the TLD DNS nameserver, because .academy is a TLD
  4. Your DNS client contacts the TLD DNS nameserver and asks it for the authoritative DNS nameserver for upload.academy, which is a second-level domain (upload is secondary to academy)
  5. Then, your local DNS client caches (saves for later) the results of the nameserver IP address for upload.academy
  6. Finally you can ask the upload.academy authoritative nameserver for information about upload.academy records and it'll give you the IP address of the record or records

With the IP address from the final step, your local client, whatever that may be, can make a connection to the IP address and start talking to our servers here at Upload Academy.