Root nameserver
Root name server (alternatively spelled, root nameserver or, simply, root server; hereinafter, the Server) is a name server for the root zone of the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet.
Functions
The Server:
- Maintains databases for:
- All the records in the root zone;
- A list of TLD nameservers
the authoritative name servers for the appropriate top-level domain (TLD)
- Directly answers requests for records in the root zone; and
- Answers
requests by returning a list of the authoritative name servers for the appropriate top-level domain (TLD). The root name servers are a critical part of the Internet infrastructure because they are the first step in translating (resolving) human readable host names into IP addresses that are used in communication between Internet hosts.
