A record explained.
The A record is a DNS resource record. Its main task is to link the domain name to an IP address (IPv4). So, whenever you want to visit a particular website, your browser will need exactly the A record. That way, it will know where the website is hosted, and it will be able to access it.
Inside the A record, the IPv4 is a 32-bit address that contains 4 combinations of numbers. So it simply looks like this: 194.5.0.21.
It is possible for one host to have several A records. If this is the case, a request for a domain name will point to several locations. The goal of this approach is redundancy, faster DNS resolving, and load balancing.
To add you A records is an easy job in your Master DNS Zone. You can add them inside with the domain name and the IP addresses.
Structure
The A record holds inside several pieces of information. They are the following:
- Host: Here, it has to be the hostname, such as yourdomain.com. For this host, you can have multiple A records.
- Type: Here is defined the type of DNS record. In this case, it is A.
- To: Here, it has to be the IPv4 address of the host described earlier. Example: 194.5.0.21. In this field, you just have to put a single IPv4 address. If the domain you have is available on several IP addresses, you will want to add several A records.
- TTL: Here is the time-to-live for the DNS record represented in seconds. It determines for how long the information is valid before a new query has to be performed.
How to view the A record?
There are a few easy ways to check an A record. Also, the good news is that it doesn’t matter what OS you are using on your computer.
Windows 10 users
First, you have to open the Command Prompt. You can do that by pressing “Windows key + R”, and inside the Run, write “cmd.” Next, press the Enter button, and the Command Prompt will open.
Write inside the Command Prompt the following:
nslookup exampledomain.com
You will receive an answer with the A record for the domain. Also, there you can view the TTL value and the IPv4 address.
*To perform it, replace exampledomain.com with the domain you want.
macOS and Linux
First, you have to open the Terminal. On Linux, you can regularly find it in the System application. On macOS, you can discover it inside the Applications.
Inside the Terminal, type the following:
dig exampledomain.com
You will receive an answer with a lot of information. Among it, you will notice the IP address of the domain and TTL.
*To perform it, replace exampledomain.com with the domain you want.
How to create an A record?
Open the DNS control panel by your DNS provider. There you first have to create a Master DNS zone. There you have to find the “Add DNS record”, and then click on “A DNS record.” An A record points only to IP addresses, and you can not place other info. So all you have to do is set the IP address to where the domain must lead and the TTL value.
If you want, it is possible to direct a domain to several IP addresses. You just have to add another A record. So, keep the same domain except that you have to fill it with a different IP address. After that, your load balancing mechanism is done.
Suggested article: Benefits of cloud-based load balancing
