domain name, it checks to see if the resource set consists of a CNAME
record with a matching class.  If so, the name server includes the CNAME
record in the response and restarts the query at the domain name
specified in the data field of the CNAME record.  The one exception to
this rule is that queries which match the CNAME type are not restarted.

For example, suppose a name server was processing a query with for USC-
ISIC.ARPA, asking for type A information, and had the following resource
records:

    USC-ISIC.ARPA   IN      CNAME   C.ISI.EDU

    C.ISI.EDU       IN      A       10.0.0.52

Both of these RRs would be returned in the response to the type A query,
while a type CNAME or * query should return just the CNAME.

Domain names in RRs which point at another name should always point at
the primary name and not the alias.  This avoids extra indirections in
accessing information.  For example, the address to name RR for the
above host should be:

    52.0.0.10.IN-ADDR.ARPA  IN      PTR     C.ISI.EDU

rather than pointing at USC-ISIC.ARPA.  Of course, by the robustness
principle, domain software should not fail when presented with CNAME
chains or loops; CNAME chains should be followed and CNAME loops
signalled as an error.

3.7. Queries

Queries are messages which may be sent to a name server to provoke a




 
RFC 1034             Domain Concepts and Facilities        November 1987


response.  In the Internet, queries are carried in UDP datagrams or over
TCP connections.  The response by the name server either answers the
question posed in the query, refers the requester to another set of name
servers, or signals some error condition.

In general, the user does not generate queries directly, but instead
makes a request to a resolver which in turn sends one or more queries to
name servers and deals with the error conditions and referrals that may
result.  Of course, the possible questions which can be asked in a query
does shape the kind of service a resolver can provide.

DNS queries and responses are carried in a standard message format.  The
message format has a header containing a number of fixed fields which
are always present, and four sections which carry query parameters and
RRs.

The most important field in the header is a four bit field called an
opcode which separates different queries.  Of the possible 16 values,
one (standard query) is part of the official protocol, two (inverse
query and status query) are options, one (completion) is obsolete, and
the rest are unassigned.

The four sections are:

Question        Carries the query name and other query parameters.

Answer          Carries RRs which directly answer the query.

Authority       Carries RRs which describe other authoritative servers.
                May optionally carry the SOA RR for the authoritative
                data in the answer section.

Additional      Carries RRs which may be helpful in using the RRs in the
                other sections.

Note that the content, but not the format, of these sections varies with
header opcode.

3.7.1. Standard queries

A standard query specifies a target domain name (QNAME), query type
(QTYPE), and query class (QCLASS) and asks for RRs which match.  This
type of query makes up such a vast majority of DNS queries that we use
the term "query" to mean standard query unless otherwise specified.  The
QTYPE and QCLASS fields are each 16 bits long, and are a superset of
defined types and classes.






 
RFC 1034             Domain Concepts and Facilities        November 1987


The QTYPE field may contain:

      matches just that type. (e.g., A, PTR).