Abstract

DNS and IPv6

Jákó András <>
BME TIO

The Domain Name System is probably the world's biggest distributed database. Its primary function is to keep track of IP address to domain name assignments (and vice versa). The abstraction layer provided by DNS gives humans the possibility of having to remember and use more or less meaningful names instead of numeric IP addresses. Without any doubt, DNS is a vital component of the Internet.

Internet Protocol and DNS are very closely related to each other. On one hand, IP addresses shall be registered in DNS. These DNS entries shall be maintained and kept up to date, registered domain names and IP addresses shall be queried. On the other hand, DNS uses IP to transport its protocol messages.

Therefore DNS must be adapted to the changes in Internet Protocol, to the new features of IPv6. Widespread deployment of IPv6 is not possible without DNS being able to cope with it. This presentation shows the common aspects of IPv6 and DNS, and the IPv6 related changes in DNS.