DNS is a phonebook. Pointing your domain to a server means adding your entry. Here's exactly how to do it.
A subdomain is just a DNS record—no special system, no hierarchy magic. Here's how to create one, point it anywhere, and secure it with HTTPS.
A wildcard DNS record is a default case—it catches any subdomain that doesn't have its own record. One configuration for infinite possibilities, with real dangers if you get it wrong.
Round-robin DNS rotates IP addresses with each query, but DNS caching means millions of users share the same cached response—your "distributed" traffic might all hit one server while others sit idle.
DNS load balancing repurposes a directory system into a traffic director. The same caching that makes DNS fast makes this approach crude—understanding this tradeoff reveals exactly when it's the right tool and when you need something else.
GeoDNS returns different IP addresses based on where queries originate—so users in Tokyo reach Asian servers while London users hit Europe. It assumes proximity predicts performance. Usually it's right.
The same DNS question gets different truthful answers depending on who asks. Split-horizon DNS makes this paradox work, letting internal and external users share hostnames while reaching entirely different servers.
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