Windows 2008 PDC/BDC & Primary/Secondary DNS setup

[loadedmind]

Hey all. I have two servers, the first of which is the primary AD server who also does DNS. I'm going to add the role of DHCP (unless told it may conflict somehow) to this server. On the second server, which is currently running VMWare vCenter 4.1, I'd like to add it as the BDC and secondary DNS server. First, will there be any problems with this and, second, since this environment will be on its own network for test/dev, I assume (hate using that word) I'll add a forward on the corporate network to send along to the test/dev so that folks on corp can request hosts via FQDN. Does anyone have a HOWTO or perhaps would be nice enough to provide a brief walkthrough?

 

[58sniper]

No such thing as PDC or BDC in Windows Server 2008.

Never run applications like VMWare on a domain controller. Never.

Not sure I understand what you're asking in the last part.

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[loadedmind]

Guess I have the wrong forum. My bad.

 

[kmcferrin]

It's unclear exactly what you're asking for. You have one DC that does DNS. You want to add DHCP to that as well? There's no technical issue with doing so and as long as you don't have a heavy workload for either of those three functions (DC, DNS, DHCP server) then it shouldn't be an issue. But Microsoft's best practices recommend installing only a single role per server.

Regarding vCenter on a DC, don't do it. You really shouldn't have any applications installed on a DC at all (as Pat says). There's too much opportunity for the application to make changes to the local host that then end up impacting domain functionality.

Third, it sounds like a DNS question. It's unclear if you're trying to set up the second host as a DC for a separate domain, or if it's all going to be a single domain. But regardless of how you're setting it up, you will PROBABLY end up setting up a forwarder to your TEST/DEV DNS in your PROD DNS if you need name resolution across domains, but the exact process is going to depend on how your TEST/DEV domain relates to the PROD domain (Child domain? Separate domain in a separate forest?).

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