HOW TO: Configure DNS in a New Workgroup Environment in Windows Server 2003

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This article was previously published under Q324259
For a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of this article, see 301197.
 

IN THIS TASK

SUMMARY

This step-by-step guide is intended for new workgroups without Domain Name System (DNS) servers. With DNS servers, users can use friendly names to contact resources. Friendly names are simple English names that represent a network resource. You can use DNS names to publish and name all of the networked resources in your workgroup.

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Install the DNS Service

Before you can configure the DNS service, you must install it on the server. By default, DNS is not installed during the installation of Windows Server 2003. You can install DNS during or after the installation.

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How to Install the DNS Service on an Existing Server

  1. Click Start, point to Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs.
  2. Click Add or Remove Windows Components.
  3. In the Components list, click Networking Services (but do not select or clear the check box), and then click Details.
  4. Click to select the Domain Name System (DNS) check box, and then click OK.
  5. Click Next.
  6. When you are prompted, insert the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM into the computer's CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive.
  7. On the Completing the Windows Components Wizard page, click Finish when Setup is complete.
  8. Click Close to close the Add or Remove Programs window.

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How to Install the DNS Service During Installation

To install the DNS service during the initial installation of Windows Server 2003, follow steps 3 and 4 in the How to Install the DNS Service on an Existing Server section of this article when you are prompted to install and configure Windows components.

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Configure the DNS Server

To function properly, a DNS server requires a forward lookup zone for its local domain to host the locator records. A forward lookup zone contains information that is necessary to resolve names in the DNS domain. You may also want to configure a reverse lookup zone so that users can determine the name of a local resource based on its IP address. Additionally, to keep the administration of your DNS service as simple as possible, configure these zones to accept dynamic updates.

After you have installed the DNS service, use the Configure a DNS Server Wizard to configure the DNS service.

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How to Configure the DNS Service

  1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
  2. Right-click ServerName, where ServerName is the name of the server, and then click Configure a DNS Server.

    The Configure a DNS Server Wizard starts.
  3. Click DNS Checklists, read the DNS checklists, and then click Next.
  4. Click one of the following, based on the role of the DNS server, and then click Next:
    • Create a forward lookup zone (recommended for small networks). Use this option for a small network that uses Active Directory or that uses an Internet service provider (ISP) to resolve DNS name queries. By using this option, you can:
      • Create a DNS zone for the DNS domain that corresponds to an Active Directory domain that is used by your network.
      • Create a secondary zone for the DNS zone hosted by a DNS server at your ISP.
    • Create forward and reverse lookup zones (recommended for large networks). Use this option if you are adding a DNS server to a large network with an existing DNS infrastructure. By using this option, you can:
      • Create forward and reverse lookup zones to resolve queries for resources in a DNS domain in your DNS namespace.
      • Specify the DNS servers to use as forwarders where name queries that this DNS server cannot answer will be sent.
      • Specify the replication scope for the zones that you are creating if this DNS server is running on an Active Directory domain controller.
      • Specify the DNS servers to use as forwarders where name queries that this DNS server cannot answer will be sent.
      • Configure dynamic updates for the zones that you are creating.
    • Configure root hints only (recommended for advanced users only. Use this option if you want to create a forward-only DNS server or add root hints to a DNS server that is currently configured with a zone and forwarders.
  5. Follow the instructions on the remaining pages of the wizard to configure your DNS server.

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How to Configure Forward Lookup Zones to Allow Dynamic Updates

After you have configured the new forward lookup zone, configure these zones to allow dynamic updates (if you did not do so already by using the Configure a DNS Server Wizard).

 

  1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
  2. Expand ServerName, where ServerName is the name of the server, and then expand Forward Lookup Zones.
  3. Right-click the forward lookup zone that you created for your domain, and then click Properties.
  4. Click the General tab, click Yes in the Allow dynamic updates box, and then click OK.

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REFERENCES

For additional information about how configure DNS for Internet access in Windows Server 2003, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

323380 HOW TO: Configure DNS for Internet Access in Windows Server 2003

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The information in this article applies to: