The top of the DNS hierarchy

Not all distributed systems are decentralized - many are not. One of the easiest and most practical ways to organize a distributed system is according to a hierarchy. The most prominent example of this is one of the drivetrain mechanics of the internet: DNS. This article looks at how DNS works. It covers how domains work, root servers, anycast, attacks, and more. While DNS may seem simple, it relies on a great deal of complexity within other parts of the system.

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