defines the DNS protocol

DNS, or Domain Name System, is a protocol within the set of standards for how computers exchange data on the internet and on many private networks, known as the TCP/IP protocol suite. Its basic job is to turn a user-friendly domain name like "google.com" into an Internet Protocol (IP) address like 70.42.251.42 that computers use to identify each other on the network.

Here are the steps that define how DNS protocol works:

1. User Input: When you type a URL into your browser, your computer sends a request to the DNS server associated with your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

2. Query Forwarding: If the DNS server doesn't have the IP address for the requested domain in its cache, it will query other DNS servers across the internet to find the correct IP address.

3. Root Server Check: The query starts with a check at the root DNS servers. These servers don't know the IP address, but they can direct our query to the next step.

4. Top-Level Domain (TLD) Server Check: The root servers will point the query to TLD servers (like .com, .org, .net). These servers don't have the IP address either, but they can direct our query to the next step.

5. Domain's Name Server: The TLD servers refer the query to the domain's name server. This server has the correct IP address.

6. Response: The IP address is sent back to your computer.

7. Connection: Your computer uses this IP address to connect to the desired website.

8. Caching: The IP address is stored in the DNS server's cache for a certain period of time, so if another user requests the same URL, the process will be faster.

This entire process happens in milliseconds, and it's repeated every time you visit a new domain.