How to Convert DNS Primary Server to Active Directory Integrated

This article describes how to convert a primary DNS server to an Active Directory Integrated Primary server, force replication to another domain controller, and add the new domain controller as a DNS server.

By default, Windows 2000 Advanced Server installs a primary DNS server. You may want to add additional DNS servers so there is not a single point of failure. Rather than add standard secondary DNS servers, you can convert the server from a primary DNS server to an Active Directory Integrated Primary server and configure another domain controller to be a DNS server. With integrated primary servers, all the servers are primary servers, so when a zone change is made at one server, it is replicated to the others, eliminating the need for a zone transfer.

Converting Primary DNS Server to Active Directory Integrated Primary

1. On the current DNS server, start DNS Manager. Either create an MMC console and add "DNS" or run Server Configuration in Administrative Tools.
2. In the DNS zone properties, note the Type value on the General tab. This will be Primary, Secondary or Active Directory Integrated Primary. Click Change.
3. In the Change Zone Type box, click Active Directory Integrated Primary, and then click OK. In the Domain properties, the type shows "Active Directory Integrated Primary."

Once replication takes place to the domain controller you want to add as another Active Directory Integrated Primary server, install the DNS server service on that computer and start DNS Manager. The DNS zone information is listed there. You can add additional DNS servers as you want.

Causing Immediate Replication

If you want replication to take place immediately rather than waiting for the normal replication cycle, follow these steps:

1. Use Administrative Tools to start Active Directory Sites and Services Manager.
2. Double-click the Sites icon to expand it. There should be at least one site labeled "default-first-site-name" or others if they have been manually configured.
3. Expand the site icon, expand the Servers icon, and then expand the computer's icon to find the NTDS Settings icon.
4. Click the NTDS Settings icon. One or more objects is listed in the right pane. One of those objects is a link to the domain controller you want. You can see the "friendly" names by right-clicking an entry and viewing the name. One of the objects points to the domain controller you want. Right-click that entry, and then click Replicate Now. The replication is performed immediately, but your network performance influences the time it takes to update the target controller.