recommended DC DNS configuration

[bookouri]

What is the preferred configuration for DCs and DNS? I have two 2003 domain controllers to set up in a new forest. I would normally make each of these DCs a DNS server and these would be the primary and secondary DNS settings in all my clients. I have always set up the IP addresses on the DCs to point to themselves as their primary DNS and the other DC as their secondary DNS. This is my first 2003 functional level forest/domain though and I wondered if anybody had any suggestions or if there was a currently preferred configuration different from this.

any suggestions would be appreciated..

 

[paella33]

No, you're doing fine.

 

[Cstorms]

You are going to want to obviously use each DCs DNS server as its own primary, as for the clients they automatically use site specific DCs to authenticate to, so the DNS server that has the appropriate SRV records for their request will respond accordingly.

This is assuming you have not messed with the weight and priority of any of these particular records.

Cory

 

[Cstorms]

Paella33 said it best... youre pretty much spot on.

Have a good day.

Cory

 

[bookouri]

Thanks, I was hoping that would be the case, but wanted to make sure before i got in too deep to change anything..

 

[Dublin73]

In most cases you want to go with Active Directory Integrated DNS on your domain controllers. You can convert your standard zones to Active Directory Integrated. See link...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816101

Regarding primary and secondary DNS servers you can leave that the same for your clients, presumably you're using DHCP to distribute these settings.

If you convert your zones to AD Integrated, it's a good practice to choose one of your DNS servers to be the primary for all of your DNS servers. So all of your DNS servers have the same IP address listed for their primary, and then themselves listed as the secondary

see article for more info on this:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=825036

 

[bookouri]

Thanks, Im still in the dark about lots of the DNS best practices. Most of the time the MS docs dont seem to really answer my questions, but ill give them a shot.

thanks again