Domain Name System
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a distributed naming system that associates domain names with records, including IP addresses, mail servers, and other information used by applications.
More than a website’s address
A and AAAA records provide IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. MX records identify mail servers. NS records identify nameservers, while TXT records can carry text used by systems such as email authentication. These records serve different purposes; “change the DNS” is not a complete change request.
A resolver looks up answers for a client. Authoritative nameservers hold information for the zones they serve. Resolvers can reuse a cached answer until its time to live (TTL) expires, so clients may continue seeing an older value after an edit. TTL describes caching time, not a promise that every client will switch at the same moment.
Ask which record and which service
The registrar-change article separates registration transfers, nameserver changes, and edits within a DNS zone. Use that distinction to route the request to the right owner.
For a proposed edit, identify the record, old and new values, responsible service owner, and expected effect.
During an investigation, keep the observation precise: which name and record type were queried, through which resolver, and when? A DNS response establishes what that query returned. It does not alone establish that someone connected, authenticated, or disclosed data. For identity incidents, the containment review applies the same distinction between a change and its observed effect.