Editing Name server (section)

{{short description|Computer hardware or software server}}

{{for|protocol NAMESERVER that has been replaced with [[Domain name system|DNS]]|ARPA Host Name Server Protocol}}

A '''name server''' is a computer application that implements a [[network service]] for providing responses to queries against a [[directory service]]. It translates an often humanly meaningful, text-based identifier to a system-internal, often numeric identification or addressing component. This service is performed by the server in response to a [[Communication protocol|service protocol]] request.

An example of a name server is the server component of the [[Domain Name System]] (DNS), one of the two principal [[namespace]]s of the [[Internet]]. The most important function of DNS servers is the translation (resolution) of human-memorable [[domain name]]s and [[hostname]]s into the corresponding numeric [[Internet Protocol]] (IP) addresses, the second principal name space of the Internet which is used to identify and locate computer systems and resources on the Internet.