How shall I understand the output of `dig`? Does `dig` return the resource records in the database of some DNS server? If yes, which DNS server's resource records does `dig` return? For example, `dig` doesn't seem to return the resource records of DNS server `a.edu-servers.net`. $ dig @a.edu-servers.net robot.cs.washington.edu ; <<>> DiG 9.11.3-1ubuntu1.3-Ubuntu <<>> @a.edu-servers.net robot.cs.washington.edu ; (2 servers found) ;; global options: +cmd ;; Got answer: ;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 2401 ;; flags: qr rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 3, ADDITIONAL: 7 ;; WARNING: recursion requested but not available ;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION: ; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 4096 ;; QUESTION SECTION: ;robot.cs.washington.edu. IN A ;; AUTHORITY SECTION: washington.edu. 172800 IN NS marge.cac.washington.edu. washington.edu. 172800 IN NS hanna.cac.washington.edu. washington.edu. 172800 IN NS holly.s.uw.edu. ;; ADDITIONAL SECTION: marge.cac.washington.edu. 172800 IN A 140.142.5.13 marge.cac.washington.edu. 172800 IN AAAA 2607:4000:200:43::13 hanna.cac.washington.edu. 172800 IN A 140.142.5.5 hanna.cac.washington.edu. 172800 IN AAAA 2607:4000:200:42::5 holly.s.uw.edu. 172800 IN A 173.250.227.69 holly.s.uw.edu. 172800 IN AAAA 2607:4000:301:1::69 ;; Query time: 46 msec ;; SERVER: 192.5.6.30#53(192.5.6.30) ;; WHEN: Mon Feb 11 16:27:09 EST 2019 ;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 253