Microsoft DNS Compatibility w/BIND Versions Earlier Than 4.9.4

By default, the Microsoft Domain Name System (DNS) implementation will send zone transfers to non-Microsoft DNS secondaries with one resource record per message. This behavior can be changed by editing the registry.

Zone transfers between Microsoft DNS servers will always be done using a faster method, consisting of multiple records per message, and compression, regardless of how the registry entry described below is set.

Zone transfers are the exchange of resource record information between a primary DNS server and it's secondary servers.

Prior to BIND version 4.9.4, implementations of DNS would send one resource record per message to secondary servers. For this reason, Windows NT defaults to this standard when sending messages to a non-Microsoft secondary DNS server.

If the DNS secondary servers are running BIND version 4.9.4 or better, it will be able to send multiple resource records at a time.

You can change the behavior of Microsoft DNS with the following change to the registry:

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

1. Run Registry Editor (REGEDT32.EXE).
2. From the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree, go to the following key:
   \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DNS\Parameters
   
   

      This key does not exist by default.
   						

3. Change BindSecondaries from 0 to 1.
   
   Once the key is there, change to 0 for improved performance
4. Stop and restart the Microsoft DNS server.

Transfers between Microsoft DNS servers will always be done with using the faster, high compression method, regardless of how the BindSecondaries flag is set.