HOW TO: Configure a Secondary Name Server in Windows Server 2003

This step-by-step article describes how to configure a secondary DNS server.

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Identify the Secondary Name Server

On the primary DNS server, identify an additional name server. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
2. In the console tree, expand Host name (where Host name is the host name of the DNS server).
3. In the console tree, expand Forward Lookup Zones.
4. Right-click the zone that you want (for example, example.com), and then click Properties.
5. Click the Name Servers tab, and then click Add.
6. In the Server fully qualified domain name (FQDN) box, type the host name of the server that you want to add.
   
   For example, type namesvr2.example.com.
7. In the IP address box, type the IP address of the name server that you want to add (for example, 192.168.0.22), and then click Add.
8. Click OK, and then click OK.
9. In the console tree, click Reverse Lookup Zones, right-click the zone that you want, and then click Properties.
10. Click the Name Servers tab, and then click Add.
11. In the Server name box, type the host name of the server that you want to add.
    
    For example, namesvr2.example.com.
12. In the IP address box, type the IP address of the name server that you want to add (for example, 192.168.0.22), and then click Add.
13. Click OK two times.

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Install DNS on the Secondary Name Server

To install the DNS service, follow these steps:

1. Log on to the computer as an administrator.
2. Click Start, point to Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs.
3. Click Add\Remove Windows Components.
4. In the Components list, click Networking Services (do not click to select or click to clear the check box), and then click Details.
5. Click to select the Domain Name System (DNS) check box, and then click OK.
6. On the Windows Components page, click Next.
7. Insert the Windows 2003 Server CD when you are prompted, and then click OK.
8. On the Completing the Windows Components Wizard page, click Finish.
9. Click Close.
   
   DNS is now installed. To start the DNS snap-in, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.

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Configure the Forward Lookup Zone

To configure the forward lookup zone on the secondary name server, follow these steps:

1. Log on to the secondary name server as an administrator.
2. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
3. In the console tree, under DNS, click Host name (where Host name is the host name of the DNS server).
4. In the console tree, click Forward Lookup Zones.
5. Right-click Forward Lookup Zones, and then click New Zone.
6. When the New Zone Wizard starts, click Next to continue.
7. Click Secondary Zone, and then click Next.
8. In the Name box, type the name of the zone (for example, example.com), and then click Next.
9. On the Master DNS Servers page, type the IP address of the primary name server for this zone, click Add, click Next, and then click Finish.

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Configure the Reverse Lookup Zone

To configure the reverse lookup zone on the secondary name server, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
2. In the console tree, click Host name (where Host name is the host name of the DNS server).
3. In the console tree, click Reverse Lookup Zones.
4. Right-click Reverse Lookup Zones, and then click New Zone.
5. When the New Zone Wizard starts, click Next to continue.
6. Click Secondary zone, and then click Next.
7. In the Network ID box, type the network ID (for example, type 192.168.0), and then click Next.
   
   Note The network ID is that portion of the TCP/IP address that pertains to the network.
   
   For additional information about TCP/IP networks, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   164015  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/164015/EN-US/ ) Understanding TCP/IP Addressing and Subnetting Basics
8. On the Zone File page, click Next, and then click Finish.

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Troubleshoot

• The Zone Is Not Loaded by the DNS Server

  When you select a zone on the secondary name server, you may recieve the following error message in the right pane of the DNS window:
  Zone not loaded by DNS Server
  
  The DNS server encountered an error while attempting to load the zone.
  The transfer of zone data from the master server failed.
  This issue may occur if zone transfers are disabled. To resolve this issue, follow these steps:
  1. Log on to the primary name server computer as an administrator.
  2. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
  3. In the console tree, click Host name (where Host name is the host name of the DNS server).
  4. In the console tree, click Forward Lookup Zones.
  5. Under Forward Lookup Zones, right-click the zone that you want (for example, example.com), and then click Properties.
  6. Click the Zone Transfers tab.
  7. Click to select the Allow zone transfers check box, and then click one of the following options:
     • To any server
     • Only to servers listed on the Name Servers tab
     • Only to the following servers.
       
       Note If you click Only to the following servers, type the IP address of the secondary name server in the IP address box, and then click Add.
  8. Click Apply, and then click OK.
  9. Quit the DNS snap-in.

• How to Troubleshoot DNS

  To troubleshoot and obtain information about the DNS configuration, use the Nslookup.exe utility.
  
  For additional information about using Nslookup, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  200525  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/200525/EN-US/ ) Using Nslookup.exe

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For additional informationabout how to install and configure DNS, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: back to the top