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Windows DNS
Links and Related Information

Most people administering a network understand that DNS provides name resolution when you are browsing the web. Unfortunately, many people do not realize that Microsoft's Active Directory, the technology that replaced the system used in Windows NT 4.0, relies heavily on DNS and requires you have a properly configured DNS environment. It's important to stress that if you are learning of this or the first time and managing a Windows domain, odds are your DNS is NOT correctly setup, even if you can access web sites just fine.

I once read (sorry, I do not recall the source) that one could expect 90% of the problems with logging on to Windows, slow logons, and failure to connect to servers, among other issues, could be traced back to misconfigured DNS. And in my experience, that 90% estimate is fairly accurate.

Through my time participating on various community support web sites, such as www.experts-exchange.com and www.tek-tips.com, I have amassed a variety of links (below) that will hopefully help you understand what a properly configured Windows DNS looks like. It's important to note that while there are some differences, Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 DNS and Active Directory DNS requirements are VERY similar - a link from an article describing something in 2000 could help you resolve a problem with 2003 and vice versa.

I believe in giving credit to those who noteably help me and in this case, I have to thank oBdA, a member of Experts-Exchange who first brought to my attention many of the links below.

If you discover any links that no longer work or have questions and/or comments about this page, my site, or me, please contact me.

Contents

Understanding DNS Requirements In Windows Domains Installing DNS Common Problems & Troubleshooting Related Information Good Reading

Understanding DNS In Windows Domains Windows 2000 and 2003 DNS FAQ [MS KB 291382] Frequently asked questions about Windows 2000 DNS and Windows Server 2003 DNS DNS Client Settings Best Practices [MS KB 825036] Best practices for DNS client settings in Windows 2000 Server and in Windows Server 2003 Securing Windows 2000 DNS by design

Installing DNS How To Install and Configure DNS Server in Windows Server 2003 [MS KB 814591] Installing DNS On Windows 2003 Setting Up DNS for Active Directory (Windows 2000) [MS TechNet] Install DNS on Windows 2000 for Active Directory How do I install and configure a new Windows 2000 DNS server to prepare for a new AD Domain? Using Existing Bind or NT4-based DNS for AD [MS KB 255913] Integrating Windows 2000 DNS into an existing BIND or Windows NT 4.0-based DNS namespace Using *nix DNS (BIND) with Active Directory [MS TechNet] Linux to Windows Migration: Configuring Berkeley Internet Name Domain (BIND) to Support Active Directory

Common Problems & Troubleshooting 10 DNS Errors That Will Kill Your Network Upgrading from NT4 fails to create SRV Records [MS KB 239897] SRV Resource Records May Not Be Created on Domain Controller Verify Creation of Domain Controller SRV Records [MS KB 241515] How to Verify the Creation of SRV Records for a Domain Controller

Related Information How Domain Controllers Are Located in Windows XP [MS KB 314861] Verify AD Installation in Windows Server 2003 [MS KB 816106] How to Verify an Active Directory Installation in Windows Server 2003

Good Reading Amazon Book Link: O'Reilly: DNS on Windows Server 2003

Last Update: March 8, 2007