How To Configure DNS Records for Your Web Site in Windows Server 2003

This article describes how to configure your Domain Name System (DNS) server to host an externally accessible Web site (that is, accessible from the Internet).

How to Obtain an IP Address

To host an externally accessible Web site, you must obtain a public IP address from your Internet service provider (ISP). Assign this IP address to the external interface of the firewall or router to which your DNS server is connected. For additional information about how to assign an IP address to a network adapter, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about how to configure a DNS server for Internet access, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

How to Register a Domain Name

Register a parent or second-level DNS domain name for your organization with an Internet domain name registration authority (such authorities are known as registrars). For a list of world-wide accredited registrars, visit the following Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Web site: Although the registration process may vary among registrars, follow these steps to register your domain name:

1. Perform a search to verify that the name that you want to register is available.
2. Provide contact and billing information (including an e-mail address) for the account.
3. Type the fully qualified domain names (FQDNs) of your primary and secondary DNS servers.
   
   NOTE: These are the public IP addresses that you obtained from your ISP.
4. Pay, or arrange for the payment of, an annual fee.

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How to Configure the Web Server

Install and configure Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) if it is not already installed.

How to Create a DNS Entry for the Web Server

Create an alias or CNAME record for the DNS server on which you configured IIS. This step makes sure that external host computers can connect to your Web server by using the "www" host name. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the DNS snap-in. To do this, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
2. Under DNS, expand Host name (where Host name is the host name of the DNS server).
3. Expand Forward Lookup Zones.
4. Under Forward Lookup Zones, right-click the zone that you want (for example, domain_name.com), and then click New Alias (CNAME).
5. In the Alias name box, type www.
6. In the Fully qualified name for target host box, type the fully qualified host name of the DNS server on which IIS is installed. For example, type dns.domain_name.com, and then click OK.

For additional information about how to create a DNS record, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: