Domain Management

Domain management is a little known but frequently discussed topic, associated with arcane terms such as name servers, forwarding, mirroring, locking and all manner of other odd contrivances. The basic operations of domain management services is almost exactly the same today as it was in the early days on the internet, in so far as the user or web master contacts the domain name service and requests a domain name of his or her choice. Once the domain name is purchased and set up, the web master can establish a web site on the web host provider of his choice, at any IP address, and then simply point the domain name at the IP address and internet surfers will be able to locate the web site that the web master has created and linked to.

But the inner workings of domain management remain a mystery to the uninitiated. The idea of configuring name servers, adjusting forwarding options, mirroring and locking the web master's domain is a lot to take in. It is first necessary to understand the basic concepts behind domain management.

First and foremost, domain management is a service provided by multiple companies across the web, which issue a particular web site name, called a domain name, that shows up in the URL bar of any surfers visiting the web masters domain. When the web master contracts the domain management company, the day to day work of running the domain management effort itself is taken out of the web master's hands, and he or she no longer has to concern them selves with the process of domain management, as it is all taken care of by the domain management company.

This isn't to say that the web masters are no longer able to make changes to the settings and features of the domain management process. The web master can make choices involving things like the name server, the server that actually points the way from the raw IP address to the domain name, providing a bridge for web surfers to travel from by typing the name of the domain in the URL bar and finding the actual physical site.

Other options include mirroring, the practice of storing duplicate content in another area, to be utilized as a type of back up content, forwarding, in the event that the content has moved from the original IP address to a new, as yet undocumented IP address and locking, which basically locks the domain into service.

Taking an active interest in domain management is a wise choice for any web master, as the myriad choices and options involved in the management of the selected domain can make or break the web master's promotion efforts. Once the domain is set and every thing seems to be working, meaning that traffic is landing on the web site that the domain management service is contracted to point to, many web masters simply dismiss the day to day operations of the domain management company.

The wisest course of action is to constantly monitor the domain management effort for ways to improve the effectiveness of the service. Constant vigilance on the part of the web master will always pay off in the long run.