Home Page : Glossary : "T" : TTL
On an IP based network (such as TCP/IP), TTL is the number of hops an IP packet may make across the network. A Time To Live value that is part of each IP packet's header. Each time an IP packet passes across a router its TTL value is decremented by one, when it reaches 0 it is no longer forwarded - because it has exceeded its TTL value.
As part of DNS, TTL indicates how long a DNS record is valid for - and therefore when the address needs to be rechecked (in case it has moved).
Caching algorithms may also incorporate a TTL value, in which case it is normally the length of time something is to be cached before being discarded (or refreshed).
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