What is the role of the DNS system and why is it necessary in a network?

The DNS (Domain Name System) performs the function of converting human-readable domain names (e.g., example.com) into IP addresses used for routing traffic on the network. This is necessary because it is easier for people to remember names, while computers and networks operate with numerical addresses.

Without DNS, users would have to enter IP addresses directly, which is inconvenient and impractical. DNS provides a distributed, scalable, and cacheable system that allows quick lookup of the correct server by name, greatly simplifying internet and local network operations.