Nimipalvelu

Nimipalvelu, in Finnish information technology terminology, refers to the set of systems and processes used to translate human-readable names into network addresses. The most widely used nimipalvelu is the Domain Name System (DNS) on the Internet. Nimipalvelu is also employed within local networks, where private name services may be implemented.

A typical nimipalvelu architecture includes resolvers, which are client-facing components that request name lookups; authoritative name servers, which hold the official zone data for domains; and zone files that map names to various records. A DNS query is usually resolved through a recursive process that starts at root servers, proceeds to top-level domain servers, and ends at the authoritative server for the requested domain. Results are cached to improve efficiency for subsequent lookups.

The domain name hierarchy is organized from the top down: root servers, then top-level domains (such as .com, .fi), followed by second-level domains and subdomains. DNS records provide different types of information, including A records for IPv4 addresses, AAAA records for IPv6 addresses, CNAME records for aliases, MX records for mail delivery, and TXT records for arbitrary text data. Security and privacy enhancements are increasingly part of nimipalvelu, with DNSSEC adding a chain of trust to DNS data, and protocols such as DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT) improving privacy by encrypting queries.

Nimipalvelu is foundational to Internet functionality, enabling access to websites, email, and many networked services. Operators, organizations, and individuals may run their own resolvers and authoritative servers, or configure devices to use public or private nimipalvelut provided by ISPs, organizations, or third-party providers.