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Technical terms and jargon got you confused? Below are some commonly used terms and their definitions in the domain name registration industry.
- Contact Record/Contact ID
- DNS
- Domain name
- Domain Parking
- Hosting
- InterNIC
- IP address
- IP number
- ISP
- Modify
- Name Servers
- NameService (Primary or Secondary)
- Primary Server
- Registrant
- Registrar
- Registry
- Registry Fees
- Renewal
- Secondary Server
- Second Level Domain
- Top Level Domain (TLD)
- Transfer (Domain Name transfer)
- Web Host
- Whois
- Zone file
1. Contact Record/Contact ID
Contact records or Contact IDs (sometimes called agents) are individuals or groups who represent a Registrant on matters related to the Registrant's domain name(s). There are three types of contacts: administrative, technical, and billing. The entity listed as the administrative, technical, or billing contact is an individual or 'role' that is contacted in matters relating to the domain name. They also have the ability to modify information pertaining to a domain name. A contact may be a single person, a company, or organization.
2. DNS
DNS stands for Domain Name System. This system translates a domain name such as ss-domains.com into the Internet Protocol (IP) numbers to find the correct web site - in this case the site for Strategic Solutions. The network of computers that constitute the internet map domain names to their corresponding IP numbers. The data is then made available to all computers and users on the internet.
3. Domain name
A domain name is the core of your company's online identity. It is the address your customers will use to find information about your products and services on the web. Your domain name is yours entirely because once registered, no other party may use that identity online in that TLD (Top Level Domain).
Domain Names always have 2 or more parts, separated by dots. The part on the left is the most specific, and the part on the right is the most general. A domain name can simply be thought of as your internet address. The internet uses Internet Protocol (IP) numbers to locate other computers. Internet users would typically have a hard time remembering these long strings of numbers to find sites. Domain names were developed to allow users to name these (IP) addresses with easy to remember names or phrases.
4. Domain Parking
Registrars require the use of name servers or hosts for every domain registered. In other words, every domain name has to be linked to a name server for it to be valid. Some people do not have their own name servers, therefore our Registrar offers 'domain parking' (name parking) on its servers. It is a convenient way to hold or 'park' domain name(s) for an extended amount of time.
5. Hosting
This term can be used to refer to the housing of a web site, email or a domain. See our Hosting Division for more details.
6. InterNIC
InterNIC was a U.S. government agency which is now defunct and effectively has been replaced by a team of competing Registrars.
7. IP address
The numeric identification number that refers to a specific machine on the internet.
8. IP number
IP stands for Internet Protocol. A unique number consisting of 4 parts separated by dots. Every machine that is on the internet has a unique number, which correlates to its domain name.
9. ISP
ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. An ISP provides access to the internet for others via some connectivity service(s).
10. Modify
Modify is a function where contact information or DNS information can be updated to reflect new changes pertaining to a domain name. Administrative and technical contacts have the ability to modify domain name information.
11. Name Servers
A computer that performs the mapping of domain names to IP addresses. Sometimes referred to as a host server.
12. Name Service (Primary or Secondary)
The Domain Name-to-Internet Protocol (IP) number resolution is known as Name Service. Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operate name servers and provide their customers with name service when they register a domain name. Our Registrar offers both primary and secondary name service for all domain names registered through us.
13. Primary Server
On our Registrars Agreement, the section where the Registrant indicates the host name and Internet Protocol (IP) number of the name server that will contain authoritative information for the domain name and will be used to resolve that domain name to its corresponding IP number(s). The designation of "primary" means that this name server will be used first and will be relied upon before any of the other name servers that may be listed on the Domain Name Registration Agreement. The primary server section of the Agreement is a required section and the domain name registration will not be processed unless this section of the Domain Name Registration Agreement is completed properly.
14. Registrant
The entity, organization, or individual who has registered a particular domain name is also known as the Registrant.
15. Registrar
An entity which acts on behalf of a Registrant regarding original domain name registration, transfers or contact/DNS modifications. The Registrar is the entity which submits and maintains the Registrant's domain name with the Registry database. Registrants are required to use a Registrar to register a domain name.
16. Registry
The organization responsible for the actual database for any of the TLDs is known as the Registry. The Registry database is where all Registrars submit new domain name registrations and update existing Registrant, contact, and DNS information (i.e., one Registry database allows more than one Registrar to register domain names without allowing for any redundancy of domain names).
17. Registry Fees
All TLD Registries require initial registration fees as well as annual renewal fees but it is the Registrar who collects these fees plus some service fee.
18. Renewal
Registration for most domain names needs to be renewed based on some scheduled interval. This gives the Registrant you) and the Registrar (the maintenence administrator of the Top Level Domain) an opportunity to update name registration information. This includes payment of the renewal registration fee.
19. Secondary Server
On the Registrars Domain Name Registration Agreement, the section where the Registrant indicates the hostname and Internet Protocol (IP) number of a name server that will contain authoritative data for the domain name being registered and will resolve that domain name to its corresponding IP number(s). The designation of "secondary" indicates that the name server will be used in addition to and as a backup for the primary name server that is listed on the Domain Name Registration Agreement.
20. Second Level Domain
In the Domain Name System (DNS), the next highest level of the hierarchy underneath the Top Level Domains. In the example domain name - YourCompany.Net - the "YourCompany" part is the second level domain. Second level domain names are what you register in the Top Level Domain Registry database using the services of the Registrar.
21. Top Level Domain (TLD)
In the Domain Name System (DNS), the highest level of the hierarchy above second level domains. In the example YourCompany.net - the "YourCompany" part is the second level domain while the ".Net" is the Top Level Domain. Second level domain names are what you register by or on behalf of Registrants (or name holders) in a Top Level Domain Registry.
22. Transfer (domain name transfer)
Domain names can be sold to another individual or organization or the name of a company might change. Most Registrars require a process by which permission from the old owner to hand over control to the new owner is authorized. The procedure for change of ownership is known a transfer. Policies and procedures on domain name transfer can vary.
23. Web Host
The server (computer) where your web site's HTML files, graphics, etc. reside is known as the web host. Anyone who wishes to have a web page on the internet needs to have a web host. Strategic Solutions does currently offer Web Hosting.
24. WhoIs
WhoIs is a term referring to a domain name search feature for a database - typically for searching Top-Level Domain for contact information. Information such as domain name current ownership, contact information, and name availability can be found through a query or search using a WhoIs protocol (standard). Many Top-Level Domain Registrars maintain their own WhoIs database containing domain name contact information.
25. Zone file
The group of files that reside on the domain host or name server. The zone file designates a domain, its sub-domains, and mail server.
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