dave

Hi,

I have been reading Microsoft do***entation and still can't figure out what
kind of DNS server I'm going to need and how I'm going to set up zones.

Here's what we have now.
1 physical location
AD server
DNS server with 1 forward looking zone
DHCP server
domain name = domainName.local

We're going to open an office in another physical location and we want to
connect these offices via VPN. Each office will be on a different subnet.

The plan is to set up another domain controller with the name
subDomain.domainName.local so that the domains communicate and trust each
other over the VPN connection. Also I plan to set up a DNS server and a
DHCP server at this location.

How should I set up my DNS server at the second site? Should it be AD
integrated, primary or a secondary server?
How do I set up my zones? I'm unclear on how zones work. I want to be able
to see all computers by name from any of the subnets.

Thanks!!!

jonathan de boyne pollard

Cross-post. Don't multi-post.

D> I'm unclear on how zones work.

"Zones" are subdivisions of the DNS database. Monolithic DNS server
softwares like Microsoft's DNS server either answer with content from
their own DNS database or provide proxy DNS service for other DNS
servers. Individual "zones" can be replicated, using one of two
database replication mechanisms (in the case of Microsoft's DNS
server), across multiple DNS servers.

The choice of "zone" type is a choice of replication mechanism.
"Standard Primary" and "Standard Secondary" "zones" are replicated
by the "zone transfer" database replication mechanism. "Active
Directory Integrated" "zones" are replicated by the Active Directory
replication mechanism.

<URL:http://microsoft.com./technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/proddocs/entserver/sag_DNS_und_Topnode.asp>

D> I want to be able to see all computers by name from any of
D> the subnets.

This does not necessarily mean that all of your DNS servers have to
have all of your "zones" in their DNS database. If you have arranged
the delegation information in the DNS database properly (and have
configured "split horizon" DNS service for "local." properly), the
normal query resolution mechanism will find the appropriate content
DNS server; and rather than have all servers have copies of all of
the database content you can rely on proxy DNS service at all of your
other DNS servers.

<URL:http://homepages.tesco.net./~J.deBoynePollard/FGA/dns-server-roles.html>
<URL:http://homepages.tesco.net./~J.deBoynePollard/FGA/bind-big-picture.html>
<URL:http://homepages.tesco.net./~J.deBoynePollard/FGA/dns-split-horizon.html>

dave

Thanks Jonathan,

The links were very helpful. I definitely learned some new info about DNS.

Sorry about the multi-post.