ICANN Acronyms and Terms
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Z
zone file
A file on an authoritative name server that defines the contents of a zone in the Domain Name System. Resource records (RRs) in a zone file identify the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the hosts (e.g., web servers, mail servers) and name servers within the name server’s zone. A zone file can also contain other types of RRs (such as ones containing digital signatures) as determined by the zone owner. The RRs in a zone file enable an authoritative name server to respond definitively to DNS queries about the contents of a zone.