The book introduces the reader not only to the basic principles of the domain name system, but also to security, both in terms of the data provided and the transmission protocols. The book also includes a comprehensive overview of all existing types of source records and provides brief descriptions of selected implementations and their use.

The new release in the CZ.NIC Publications is a book dedicated to the principles of DNS bearing a fitting title “Domain Name System”. Its authors are Pavel Satrapa, a university lecturer specializing in computer networks, and Ondřej Filip, CEO of the Czech National Domain Administrator and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the international organization RIPE NCC. The book introduces the reader not only to the basic principles of the domain name system, but also to security, both in terms of the data provided and the transmission protocols. The book also includes a comprehensive overview of all existing types of source records and provides brief descriptions of selected implementations and their use. Print editions and e-books in standard formats are available for purchase at most bookstores.

“DNS as a global distributed database has been, along with the transparent TCP protocol, a major pillar and enabler of the phenomenal success of the Internet. The gradual addition of new protocol features and database record types, all on the fly, has quite reasonably made DNS a solid behemoth. Therefore, it is not a trivial task to get to grips with this issue. This book is a useful aid for those wishing to learn not just the facts, but also some colloquial terms that are spread informally,” says Ladislav Lhotka, technical partner of the CZ.NIC Association, commenting on the new book.

The book is intended not only for IT professionals but also for general readers. It conveys the basic principles of the DNS system and its internal structure in a comprehensible form, which is supported by demonstrations, graphs and examples. More advanced readers will appreciate the chapters devoted to the more complicated components of DNS, such as its security extension DNSSEC, the complex protocol conversion algorithm that implements domain names in non-English alphabets (IDNs), the use of DNS by other services, and protocol security. Other sections of the book provide a comprehensive overview of the types of records in which data is stored in DNS and an overview of individual DNS servers. The book also includes a selection of the most important RFC standards that define the entire DNS system and its associated elements.

About the authors:

Pavel Satrapa is a lecturer at the Technical University in Liberec. He specializes in computer networks and programming, and publishes in these areas. He has written 17 books, and his articles are published mainly at Root.cz.

Ondřej Filip is a long-time CEO of the Czech national domain administrator, the CZ.NIC Association. In addition, he is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the international organization RIPE NCC, which registers blocks of IP addresses in the region that includes Europe, the Middle East and post-Soviet states, as well as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the neutral peering node NIX.CZ. Ondřej Filip is one of the 14 holders of the DNS zone root keys and he has also been inducted into the Cybersecurity Hall of Fame.

About Publications:

CZ.NIC Publications is one of the educational projects of the Czech national domain administrator. The publishing program is focused on expert and popular publications associated with the Internet and its technologies. Along with printed books, it also publishes their electronic versions.