The browser needs to know the IP address of a website before it can access that website. Using the DNS service, the name typed in the browser is converted to the relevant IP address. There are a number of records in the distributed DNS database dedicated to managing the location of addresses.

A DNS record’s most important task is to point a domain or domains to an IP address. An AAAA record, for example, maps a domain name to an IPv6 address. A similar record called A Record also exists, which has exactly the same function, with the difference that the desired address is mapped to an IPv4 address.

What Is IPv6?

A normal IP (IPv4) represents a string of numbers such as 11.22.33.44, regarded as a unique address on the Internet. However, as the number of devices that can connect to the Internet increases, due to its low capacity, this type of addressing space can no longer handle the demands. This is why a new address space called IPv6 has been created, which provides a huge capacity. For instance, the address FE80::0202:B3FF:FE1E:8329 is an IPv6 address.

AAAA Record Format

Take a look at the following example:

When the name server (i.e., the server tasked with discovering a domain’s IP address) comes across such a record while looking up a domain’s IP address, the search stops.

Typically, the majority of websites supporting IPv6 have only one AAAA record for their primary domain. You can, of course, have multiple AAAA records defined for a domain. Popular websites use the second approach and employ the round-robin technique to spread their traffic across multiple locations that, of course, share the same content.

With the ArvanCloud DNS feature, one can easily add, edit, delete and manage their domain’s DNS records in the records management section.