When you type a website’s URL into your web browser, have you ever wondered how they know which IP address to use? It’s a question that has puzzled many, and the answer lies in the fascinating world of SOA (Start of Authority) records. In this article, we will explore what is an SOA record in DNS and learn how to create as well as check new records.
What is an SOA Record in DNS?
A Start of Authority (SOA) record is a crucial part of a DNS zone as it holds important administrative details like the administrator’s email address, the latest domain updates, and the server’s data refresh frequency. To meet Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards, all DNS zones must have an SOA record. This record is crucial for successful zone transfers when you need to send the DNS record from a primary to a secondary server.
Note: Some specialized setups or configurations might not necessitate an SOA record.
What are SOA Records Used for?
SOA is used to identify the authoritative DNS server for a particular domain and define various parameters related to that server.
- One of the key uses of SOA is to control the transfer of information between different DNS servers.
- Additionally, it plays an important role in synchronizing DNS server clusters.
- It ensures that any changes made to the zone are properly propagated across the network.
- Furthermore, it is also used to achieve DNS redundancy within a network.
Where are SOA Records Stored?
When a DNS zone is created, a Start of Authority (SOA) record is automatically stored in the DNS server that is authoritative for that specific zone.
Also Read: Where is Steam Data Stored?
How to Create SOA Record in DNS?
Follow these steps to create an SOA record in DNS:
Note: The following steps are performed on the ClouDNS DNS Hosting platform.
1. Sign in to your DNS server using your email address and password.
2. From your dashboard, click on DNS zone.
Note: You can check SOA records from the DNS zone.
3. Next, click on + Add new record.
4. Enter the DNS details in the associated fields as per your requirements.
5. Once you have finished making the necessary changes to the settings, click on the Save option.
What is the SOA Record Example?
An example of an SOA record is as follows:
- MNAME: It is the primary nameserver for the zone. That represents the domain’s primary server name.
- RNAME: This value represents the administrator’s email address with the @sign.
- SERIAL: This serial number tracks the version of the zone file and indicates the number of changes made.
- REFRESH: This field specifies the interval in seconds, used for zone transfer.
- RETRY: This is the amount of time a secondary server should wait before sending a new question.
- EXPIRE: This field specifies the time after which secondary servers should stop considering their cached data as authoritative. When this time expires, it stops responding to queries.
- TTL (Time-To-Live): This is the time to live. The value applies to all records in the DNS zone.
Also Read: 8 Most Common DNS Record Types: Explained
We hope this article was helpful for you and that you have learned about what is an SOA record in DNS. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment in the section below. Additionally, tell us what you would like to learn from us next!
