DNS Server May Not Recursively Resolve Some Names (154984)

SYMPTOMS

Your Domain Name System (DNS) server does not recursively resolve names which contain a large number of IP addresses. However, the DNS server does resolve names which contain one or a small number of IP addresses.

CAUSE

When a DNS response contains more data than can fit in a UPD packet (more than 512 bytes,) it sends as much data that can fit into the UDP packet and sets the truncation bit, indicating that there is more data available.

The Microsoft DNS server discards packets with the truncation bit set and tries another authoritative server. The DNS server always receives the same response with the truncation bit set, so it eventually stops and returns SERVFAIL to the client.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

The Microsoft DNS Server has been modified to accept truncated responses and return that response to the client.

For your convenience, the English version of this post-SP3 hotfix has been posted to the following Internet location. However, Microsoft recommends that you install Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 to correct this problem.

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/NT40/hotfixes-postSP3/dns-fix

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4.0 and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 4.