Which Resource Records are included in a zone file?

• A. A, AAAA, PTR, and TXT records.
• B. TXT, SRV, AAAA, and CNAME records.
• C. SOA, NS, A, and MX records.
• D. MX, TXT, CNAME, and SRV records

Answer: (C)

A zone file contains the authoritative data for a DNS zone, and it must include records that establish who is authoritative and how the domain’s services are resolved. The essential pieces are the Start of Authority (SOA) record, which holds zone administration details and a serial number for transfers, and NS records that specify the authoritative name servers for the zone. In addition, to make the domain usable for clients and services, you typically include an A record to map the domain to an IPv4 address and an MX record to designate the mail servers and their priority. This combination—SOA, NS, A, and MX—covers the fundamental components needed for a forward DNS zone to operate and support mail delivery. Other records like PTR are used in reverse zones or serve different purposes, so they aren’t required for the basic zone file.