How To Integrate DNS with an Existing DNS Infrastructure If Active Directory Is Enabled in Windows Server 2003

This step-by-step article describes how to install and configure a new Windows Server 2003-based Domain Name Services (DNS) computer in an existing DNS server environment with Active Directory enabled. The new Windows Server 2003-based DNS server provides local name resolution services for Windows clients and servers, while working effectively with the existing DNS server environment.

To Add a Windows Server 2003-based DNS Server to Your Existing Environment

To create a new Windows Server 2003-based DNS server, you must install Windows Server 2003 on a server that is attached to your network. Because DNS is not installed by default during installation of Windows Server 2003, you have to install DNS on the server. You can install the Windows Server 2003-based DNS service either during the installation of Windows Server 2003 or after the initial installation.

To Install the Windows Server 2003-based DNS Service on an Existing Windows Server 2003 Computer

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add or Remove Programs and then click Add/Remove Windows Components.
3. In the Windows Component Wizard, click Networking Services in the Components list, and then click Details.
4. In the Networking Services dialog box, click to select the Domain Name System (DNS) check box if it is not already selected, and then click OK.
5. In the Windows Components Wizard, click Next to start Windows Server 2003 Setup. Insert the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM into your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.
   
   Setup copies DNS and the tool files to your computer.
6. When the installation is complete, click Finish.

To Integrate Windows Server 2003 DNS into Your Existing DNS Domain

If your existing environment already has a DNS domain and an existing DNS infrastructure, and Active Directory is enabled, you can delegate a subdomain of your existing DNS domain to the Windows Server 2003 domain. The Windows Server 2003 DNS server must already be installed to complete the following step.

To Create a Delegated Subdomain for Your Windows Server 2003-based DNS Domain

With an existing DNS domain, you can delegate a subdomain from the existing DNS server to the Windows Server 2003-based DNS server. For example, if your domain name is mycompany.com, you can create a subdomain with the name windowsNET.mycompany.com. The Windows Server 2003-based DNS server has authority over that subdomain.

To create the subdomain, configure the DNS server to use one of the organization's main DNS servers as a forwarder. A forwarder provides recursive lookups for any queries that the DNS server receives that it cannot answer based on its local zones. After you set up the forwarder, the Windows Server 2003 DNS server is responsible for resolving any queries for computers or resources that are contained in its own local domain. However, any queries beyond this range are forwarded directly to the organization's main DNS servers for resolution.

NOTE: The process described in this article is from the perspective of the Windows Server 2003 DNS server. You must also set up a delegation record on the main DNS server that hosts the parent DNS namespace. This delegation record permits the main DNS server to pass records for the Windows Server 2003-based DNS namespace down to the Windows Server 2003-based DNS server. For help with doing this, see your DNS server's Help files about performing namespace delegations.

To Add the Organization's Main DNS Servers to the List of Forwarders on the Windows Server 2003 Computer

1. Click Start, point to Programs, click Administrative Tools, and then click DNS to open the DNS Management Console.
2. Right-click the DNS Server object for your server, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Forwarders tab, type the IP address of the DNS server to which you want to forward non-local queries, and then click Add.
4. Continue adding the IP addresses of any additional DNS servers to be used as forwarders until you have added all forwarders.
5. Click OK to save the settings and return to the DNS Management Console.

Troubleshooting

Options to Configure Root Hints or Forwarders Are Unavailable

If no DNS servers were detected during the initial configuration of Windows Server 2003 DNS, the system typically designates the new DNS server as a root server, which is the ultimate authority for all naming resolution activities. As a result, the new DNS server cannot forward any name resolution queries that it cannot resolve to another server or to the root servers on the Internet. Therefore, a Windows Server 2003 DNS server that has been configured as a root server disables the options to add forwarders automatically.

If, at a later date, you decide that you want to integrate this DNS server into a larger DNS environment (such as the Internet), you will have to remove the root forward lookup zone.

To remove the root forward lookup zone:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS to open the DNS Management Console.
2. Expand the DNS Server object for your server in the left pane of the console.
3. Expand Forward Lookup Zones.
4. Click the zone that is marked with a (.) period , and then press DELETE.
5. Click OK to confirm that you want to delete the zone.