How to Configure Windows Server 2003 DNS Service

To configure the Windows Server 2003 DNS service by using the Configure DNS Server Wizard, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS to open the DNS MMC snap-in.
2. In the navigation pane, click the DNS Server object for your server, right-click the server object, and then click Configure a DNS server to start the Configure DNS server Wizard.
3. Click Next, click one of the following options, and then click Next:
   • Create a forward lookup zone (recommended for small networks)
     This server is authoritative for the DNS names for local resources but forwards all other queries to an ISP or other DNS servers. The Wizard will configure the root hints but not create a reverse lookup zone.
   • Create forward and reverse lookup zones (recommended for large networks)
     This server can be authoritative for forward and reverse lookup zones. It can be configured to perform recursive resolution, forward queries to other DNS servers, or both. The wizard configures the root hints.
   • Configure root hints only (recommended for advanced users only)
     The wizard configures the root hints only. You can configure forward and reverse lookup zones and forwarders later.
4. If you clicked Create a forward lookup zone or Create forward and reverse lookup zone in step 3, use one of the following procedures to complete the steps.

Create a Forward Lookup Zone

If you create a forward lookup zone, you can either use your server to maintain the zone, or use the Internet service provider’s (ISP) DNS to maintain the zone, in which case the local server maintains a copy of the zone downloaded from the ISP. The following procedure creates a forward lookup zone which is maintained by your server:

1. Click This server maintains the zone, and then click Next.
2. In the Zone name box, type the name of the zone. Make sure that the name is the same as the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) DNS domain name for which the zone is authoritative. Click Next.
3. Click one of the following three options:
   1. Click Allow only secure dynamic updates if the zone is integrated into Active Directory.
   2. Click Allow any dynamic updates for all other zones (that is, zones that are not necessarily integrated into Active Directory).
   3. Click Do not allow dynamic updates if all updates to this zone are to be made manually. Click Next.
4. Click Yes, it should forward queries to DNS servers with the following IP address to forward queries for names external to your network to another DNS server located elsewhere on the Internet. Typically, you use this option if you use your ISP’s DNS server for external name resolution queries. Type the forwarding DNS server’s IP address.If you do not want to resolve names outside your network by forwarding queries to an external server, click No, it should not forward queries. Click Next, and then click Finish.

Create Forward and Reverse Lookup Zones

To configure forward and reverse lookup zones, follow these steps:

1. Click Create forward and reverse lookup zones (recommended for large networks), and then click Next.
2. Click Yes, create a forward lookup zone now (recommended), and then click Next.
3. Click Primary zone, click to select the Store the zone in Active Directory (available only if DNS server is a domain controller) check box, and then click Next.
4. Click the appropriate replication scope option, and then click Next.
5. In the Zone name box, type the name of the zone. Make sure that the name is the same as the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) DNS domain name for which the zone is authoritative. Click Next.
6. Click one of the following three options:
   1. Click Allow only secure dynamic updates if the zone is integrated into Active Directory.
   2. Click Allow any dynamic updates for all other zones (that is, zones that may not be integrated into Active Directory).
   3. Click Do not allow dynamic updates if all updates to this zone are to be made manually.
   4. Click Next.
7. Click Yes, create a reverse lookup zone now, and then click Next.
8. Click Primary zone, click to select the Store the zone in Active Directory (available only if DNS server is a domain controller) check box, and then click Next.
9. Click the appropriate zone replication method, and then click Next.
10. Click Network ID, and then type the Network ID portion of your IP address that is exposed to the internet. For example, if your IP address is 10.10.10.10, and the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0, the network address portion of the IP address is 10.10.10. Click Next
11. Click the appropriate zone dynamic update method, and then click Next.
12. Click Yes, it should forward queries to DNS servers with the following IP address to forward queries for names external to your network to another DNS server located elsewhere on the Internet. Typically you would use this option if you use your ISP’s DNS server for external name resolution queries. Type the forwarding DNS server’s IP address in the space below.If you prefer not to resolve names outside your network by forwarding queries to an external server, click No, it should not forward queries. Click Next, and then click Finish.