What is the primary purpose of the Domain Name System (DNS)?

The primary purpose of the Domain Name System (DNS) is to translate human-readable domain names, such as www.example.com, into machine-readable IP addresses, like 192.0.2.1. This translation is essential because while humans prefer easy-to-remember names, computers and networking devices use numerical IP addresses to communicate with each other across the internet.

When a user enters a domain name into a web browser, DNS servers facilitate the resolution of that name into the corresponding IP address, enabling the browser to locate and connect to the web server hosting the desired content. This process is fundamental to the functionality of the internet, allowing users to navigate to different websites without needing to memorize complex numerical addresses.

Other options do not represent the primary function of DNS. Encrypting data, assigning identification to devices, or managing traffic flow relate to different network protocols and functionality, but they do not encompass the core responsibility of DNS.