 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (November 2020) |
| Filename extension | .zone |
|---|---|
| Internet media type |
text/dns |
| Developed by | ISI |
| Initial release | 1987 |
| Type of format | File format |
| Standards | RFC 1034, 1035, 2308, 4027 |
| Open format? | Yes |
A Domain Name System (DNS) zone file is a text file that describes a DNS zone. A DNS zone is a subset, often a single domain, of the hierarchical domain name structure of the DNS. The zone file contains mappings between domain names and IP addresses and other resources, organized in the form of text representations of resource records (RR). A zone file may be either a DNS master file, authoritatively describing a zone, or it may be used to list the contents of a DNS cache.[1]