The DNS maps the IP address to
2015
The DNS maps the IP address to
- A.
A binary address as strings
- B.
An alphanumeric address
- C.
A hierarchy of domain names
- D.
A hexadecimal address
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Correct answer: C
Concept
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the Internet's distributed naming service. Its job is to translate between numeric IP addresses and human-readable domain names, where those domain names are organised as an inverted tree, a hierarchy that runs from the root down through top-level domains, second-level domains and host names.
Application
A bare IP address such as 203.0.113.10 carries no meaning for a person, so DNS associates it with a structured, hierarchical domain name such as www.example.com. Reading the name right to left moves down the hierarchy: the root, then the top-level domain .com, then example, then the host www. This naming tree is exactly what an IP address is mapped to.
Cross-check
Forward lookup turns a domain name into an IP address; reverse lookup turns an IP address back into a domain name (IPv4 addresses use the IN-ADDR.ARPA tree and IPv6 addresses use the IP6.ARPA tree). In both directions the human-facing side of the mapping is the hierarchy of domain names, confirming the result.
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