HOW TO: Convert a DNS Server to a Root DNS Server (231794)

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes how to convert a DNS server to a root DNS server.

A Domain Name System (DNS) server is a hierarchical namespace structure designed to provide host to IP address name resolution and registration. There are 2 types of DNS servers that are installed for domain controllers in the Active Directory.

1. Root Server - A root server is installed to be the source for resolving names for an hierarchical namespace. The root is the top of the hierarchy containing all organizational domain zone names. Names that cannot be resolved in the domain zone names are passed to the root DNS server if specified.
2. DNS Forwarder - The DNS forwarder is a DNS server that contains one or more domain zones in an enterprise. The DNS server can be configured to forward names it cannot resolve to the root server for the domain.

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Enable a Root DNS Server

To enable a root DNS Server in Microsoft Windows 2000:

1. Create a "." Forward Lookup Zone on the DNS server that you want to be a root server in the DNS Management Console.
2. Restart the Microsoft DNS Service on the appropriate computer.
3. Reload the data files, and then refresh the view for the DNS server.

When a .(root) zone is created on an Microsoft DNS server, the cached DNS data is moved to this zone and the cache zone is deleted. This operation occurs automatically, but it may be necessary to quit and restart the DNS Manager program to view the change.

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