Link to home
Create AccountLog in
Avatar of bereanbs
bereanbsFlag for United States of America

asked on

How to configure redundant Microsoft DNS servers

I need to add a second DNS server for redundancy. I currently have an active directory domain, with one of the DC's running DNS services. I would like to add DNS to my second DC so that both can act as DNS servers.

Can anyone guide me in this area?

Thanks!
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of Chris Dent
Chris Dent
Flag of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland image

Link to home
membership
Create a free account to see this answer
Signing up is free and takes 30 seconds. No credit card required.
See answer
SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
Create a free account to see this answer
Signing up is free and takes 30 seconds. No credit card required.
SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
Create a free account to see this answer
Signing up is free and takes 30 seconds. No credit card required.
SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
Create a free account to see this answer
Signing up is free and takes 30 seconds. No credit card required.
Avatar of jordibartrina
jordibartrina

For fine adjust only:
MS says that DNS server should only point to themselve, no another DNS server need to be specified, because a deadlock in DNS resolution can occurs.
Hello again,

Do you have a good result in your topology?

Don't hesitate contact again.

Regards
The process is as follows:
Install Windows 2003 on the new machine

Assign the new computer an IP address and subnet mask on the existing network
Make sure that the preferred DNS server on new machine points to the existing DNS Server on the Domain (normally the existing domain controller)

Join the new machine to the existing domain as a member server

From the command line promote the new machine to a domain controller with the DCPROMO command from the command line Select Additional Domain Controller in an existing Domain

Once Active Directory is installed then to make the new machine a global catalog server, go to Administrative Tools, Active Directory Sites and Services, Expand ,Sites, Default first site and Servers. Right click on the new server and select properties and tick the"Global Catalog" checkbox. (Global catalog is essential for logon as it needs to be queried to establish Universal Group Membership)

Assuming that you were using Active Directory Integrated DNS on the first Domain Controller, DNS will have replicated to the new domain controller along with Active Directory.

If you are using DHCP you should spread this across the domain controllers, In a simple single domain this is easiest done by Setting up DHCP on the second Domain controller and using a scope on the same network that does not overlap with the existing scope on the other Domain Controller. Don't forget to set the default gateway (router) and DNS Servers. Talking of which all the clients (and the domain controllers themselves) need to have their Preferred DNS server set to one domain controller, and the Alternate DNS to the other, that way if one of the DNS Servers fails, the clients will automatically use the other.
Avatar of bereanbs

ASKER

Great answers - As it turns out, by the time I read the responses it was already replicated and good to go!  I just didn't wait long enough.  Sorry for the delay in closing out the question.

Thanks again!