XFOR: Installing IMS Fails Due to DNS Configuration (264111)

SYMPTOMS

When you try to install the Internet Mail Service on a Windows 2000-based computer that is running Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 3, you may receive the following error message:

The Internet Mail Service requires the DNS domain name to be configured on server_name. To configure the domain name, use the Network icon in the Control Panel on server_name, or select another server.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if the primary Domain Name System (DNS) suffix entry for this computer is missing. When a Windows 2000-based computer is installed as a member server in a Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 domain or a Windows 2000 domain, this entry is often blank. This behavior does not occur on a Windows 2000 domain controller.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, add the primary DNS suffix entry for the Windows 2000 member server:

Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
Click the Network Identification tab, and then click Properties.
In the Identification Changes dialog box, click More.
In the Primary DNS suffix of this computer box, type the name of the domain to which the member server belongs. You do not need to type the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) because the computer name is automatically appended to the domain name that you type here to create the FQDN for DNS.

NOTE: If the Primary DNS suffix of this computer box is not empty, you are not experiencing the problem that is described in this article.
Click OK.
You must restart the computer for these changes to take effect.

After you restart the computer, you can install the Internet Mail Service and the error message in the "Symptoms" section of this article is not displayed.