Android DNS Query

Introduction

In the world of networking, DNS (Domain Name System) plays a crucial role in translating domain names into IP addresses. Android, being one of the widely used mobile operating systems, also provides support for DNS queries. In this article, we will explore how to perform DNS queries in Android using code examples.

DNS Query Basics

Before diving into the Android DNS query, let's understand the basics of DNS queries. When a user enters a domain name in a web browser, the DNS resolver on the client machine sends a DNS query to a DNS server to resolve the IP address associated with that domain name. The DNS server then responds with the IP address, allowing the client to establish a connection.

Android DNS Resolver

Android provides an API to perform DNS queries using the android.net.DnsResolver class. This class provides methods to resolve domain names into IP addresses. Let's take a look at a code example that demonstrates how to use the Android DNS resolver.

import android.net.DnsResolver;
import android.net.InetAddresses;
import android.net.ResolvedDomainName;
import android.net.ResolvedIpAddress;
import android.net.ResolverParams;
import android.net.TrafficStats;

import java.net.InetAddress;
import java.util.concurrent.Executor;

public class DnsQueryExample {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Create DNS resolver instance
        DnsResolver resolver = DnsResolver.getInstance();

        // Set DNS resolution parameters
        ResolverParams params = new ResolverParams.Builder()
                .setUsePrivateDns(false)
                .setNetwork(null)
                .build();

        // Perform DNS query
        String domain = "example.com";
        InetAddress[] addresses = resolver.query(domain, params);

        // Print resolved IP addresses
        for (InetAddress address : addresses) {
            System.out.println(address.getHostAddress());
        }
    }
}

In the above code, we first create an instance of DnsResolver. Then we set the DNS resolution parameters using the ResolverParams.Builder. Finally, we perform a DNS query for the domain name "example.com" and print the resolved IP addresses.

Class Diagram

classDiagram
    class DnsResolver {
        - ResolverParams params
        ---
        + getInstance()
        + query(domain: String, params: ResolverParams): InetAddress[]
    }

The above class diagram represents the DnsResolver class used in the code example. It has a ResolverParams object to set the DNS resolution parameters. The getInstance() method returns the singleton instance of the DnsResolver class. The query() method performs a DNS query and returns an array of InetAddress objects.

Sequence Diagram

sequenceDiagram
    participant Client
    participant DnsResolver
    participant DnsServer

    Client ->> DnsResolver: query("example.com", params)
    DnsResolver ->> DnsServer: Send DNS query
    DnsServer -->> DnsResolver: Return IP address
    DnsResolver -->> Client: Return IP address

The above sequence diagram illustrates the flow of a DNS query. The client sends a DNS query to the DNS resolver, which in turn sends the query to the DNS server. The DNS server responds with the IP address, which is then returned to the client.

Conclusion

Performing DNS queries in Android is made easy with the DnsResolver class. We explored the basics of DNS queries, learned how to use the Android DNS resolver, and saw code examples demonstrating the process. Understanding DNS queries and utilizing the Android DNS resolver can greatly enhance networking capabilities in Android applications.