In DNS, what is the primary role of MX records?

Study for the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) v13 Exam. Utilize flashcards and multiple-choice questions with helpful hints and detailed explanations. Excel in your exam preparation!

Multiple Choice

In DNS, what is the primary role of MX records?

Explanation:
MX records tell email systems where to deliver mail for a domain. They specify the hostname of the mail server and a priority value, so when a message is sent to someone at that domain, the sending mail transfer agent queries DNS for MX records, connects to the mail server with the lowest priority first, and then uses the host’s A/AAAA record to get its IP address. If there are multiple mail servers, the priority list provides fallback options. This is distinct from A records, which map a domain to an IP address directly, and from zone-transfer mechanisms, which are unrelated to mail delivery.

MX records tell email systems where to deliver mail for a domain. They specify the hostname of the mail server and a priority value, so when a message is sent to someone at that domain, the sending mail transfer agent queries DNS for MX records, connects to the mail server with the lowest priority first, and then uses the host’s A/AAAA record to get its IP address. If there are multiple mail servers, the priority list provides fallback options. This is distinct from A records, which map a domain to an IP address directly, and from zone-transfer mechanisms, which are unrelated to mail delivery.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy