isr.co.ro : glossary Domain Name System (DNS) The set of Internet formats, procedures, services, and rules for assigning names to locations on the Net and for translating those names into network addresses. The name formats are based on a nested set of hierarchical names--as in "myname@myserver.myorganization.com." The last part indicates the overall domain, and each part set off by periods before it represents a subdomain under the larger part. Names are translated to network addresses by name servers, which look up names within their purview and return an IP (Internet Protocol) address that can be used to route the messages.