What is the name of the canonical name?

The canonical name is a term used in computer networks to identify the real name of the computer in the Internet name system. It is most often used with reference to the recording of resources in the domain name (DNS) system, which is responsible for translation of the address of the unclear Internet protocol (IP) into recognizable names. In this case, the recording of funds in DNS is called CNAME and allows a different name or alias to point to the actual name of the computer.

When a computer is looking for a website, for example, it checks the name entered in the web browser against special servers that host DNS records. If the name is searching in DNS records entered in CNAME records, they will receive a canonical name and then make a second search against the canonical name to solve the host computer's IP address. A relatively common example is when one computer organizes more services such as a website and FTP (FTP) for transferring data.

In a web browser, the user can enter www.example.com. During DNS searches, he encounters the canonical name in the CNAME record that points to the server called foo.example.com. Another user can then use the FTP client and enter the FTP server address on ftp.example.com. Search DNS will come across another CNAME item that also points to foo.example.com, exactly the same host computer used for the web. In this case, however, DNS was given two different names that led to the canonical name of the server.

In one of the above cases, DNS will then make the second canonical name search to solve its IP address in the network. The IP address is then sent back to a computer that creates a web or FTP request so that data packets can start. This, of course, opens several options for network administrators Deer DNS CNAME records in other ways. Another common technique used by website hosting services allows one host to countACI run several web servers, each with a different name.

Given the fine nature of DNS, however, there are a number of hazards to implement canonical names with CNAME records, and therefore there are limitation of its use. The most dangerous is the potential for creating an endless loop while searching for a name, so no CNAME record should point to another CNAME record. For example, if two CNAME records are used, where www.example.com shows the canonical name foo.example.com and then foo.example.com scores back at www.example.com, searching infinitely checks one name against another.

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