DNS Root Server
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DNS root servers are the top-level [[nameserver|nameservers]] of the [[dns|DNS]] hierarchy, responsible for answering queries about the locations of [[tld|TLD]] nameservers. There are 13 logical root server addresses (labeled A through M), each operated by a different organization and reachable at hundreds of physical locations worldwide via [[anycast|anycast]] routing. The [[iana|IANA]] Root Zone Database, maintained by ICANN, defines which nameservers are authoritative for each TLD, and root servers serve this [[root-zone|root zone]] data. When a [[recursive-dns|recursive resolver]] encounters a name it has not cached, it contacts a root server first to find the responsible TLD server.
Example
The 13 root server identities (a.root-servers.net through m.root-servers.net) collectively handle billions of queries daily; F-root alone operates 200+ nodes, none of which share a single point of failure thanks to anycast.