safemode_nz
asked on
Is it possible to run a secondary DNS server on WHS for a SBS 2008 domain?
Hi,
I am currently looking into adding redundancy to our clients network as they are going to be running 3CX as their phone system and in the event of the SBS 2008 box being down, I require the phone system to still have internet access (for VoIP, etc. as well as the IP phones)
The network is already running a Windows Home Server for backup of critical workstations and has a secondary DHCP server running on the WHS (using an excepted area of the existing SBS scope).
I was windering if is possible to run a secondary DNS server on the WHS (it is essentially windows 2003) for the SBS 2008 domain. I do not want it to be a secondary domain controller, it is really just for internet lookups as well as being able to resolve the existing computers and devices in the network (e.g. the IP phones).
Also the WHS is not domain joined in anyway as I understand this might violate the EULA.
I am currently looking into adding redundancy to our clients network as they are going to be running 3CX as their phone system and in the event of the SBS 2008 box being down, I require the phone system to still have internet access (for VoIP, etc. as well as the IP phones)
The network is already running a Windows Home Server for backup of critical workstations and has a secondary DHCP server running on the WHS (using an excepted area of the existing SBS scope).
I was windering if is possible to run a secondary DNS server on the WHS (it is essentially windows 2003) for the SBS 2008 domain. I do not want it to be a secondary domain controller, it is really just for internet lookups as well as being able to resolve the existing computers and devices in the network (e.g. the IP phones).
Also the WHS is not domain joined in anyway as I understand this might violate the EULA.
Lee W, MVP
Don't think you can add Windows DNS service. But you should be able to use another DNS server, such as http://sourceforge.net/projects/dhcp-dns-server/files/
ASKER
You can definitely add the DNS server, I have already added it, and on a completely separate network, I have a WHS box running DHCP and DNS for a very small network, my issue is not knowing whether it is possible to make a secondary DNS server with the 2003 DNS server on a SBS 2008 network.
You can add any server with any role to a SBS2008 domain, you can't add a second SBS2008 server.
More information in the following link from official SBS Blog
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2007/10/04/debunking-the-myth-about-additional-domain-controllers-replica-dcs-in-an-sbs-domain.aspx
More information in the following link from official SBS Blog
http://blogs.technet.com/sbs/archive/2007/10/04/debunking-the-myth-about-additional-domain-controllers-replica-dcs-in-an-sbs-domain.aspx
Kleos000 - Windows Home Server has separate licensing and MANY restrictions - the question was about Windows Home Server, not the restrictions of an SBS domain.
True! I've lost that point!
I will go back in my corner looking for solutions I need.
P:S.: Does WHS has DNS server role available?
I will go back in my corner looking for solutions I need.
P:S.: Does WHS has DNS server role available?
WHS cannot join a domain. Thus no reason to enable DNS.
I shouldn't say it cannot join a domain, but it looses much of it's functionality if you do.
Foundation server is an affordable alternative if less than 25 users.
I shouldn't say it cannot join a domain, but it looses much of it's functionality if you do.
Foundation server is an affordable alternative if less than 25 users.
ASKER
Thank you everyone for all your comments so far, I know that WHS shouldn't join the domain, but what I am trying to achieve is redundancy in the existing network for internet access (mainly) and just being able to resolve the machine names,
All our clients are running Windows Backup and we have an identical spare server, in the event of a complete hardware failure, we load their latest backup to the spare server and get them going again (this is extremely rare but has happened). Now the backup can take anywhere from an hour to 3 hours depending on the amount of data, and without internet access and IP addresses for the PC's and IP phones, not only are they unable to use their computers, but they will have no telephone.
I have spoken to Microsoft NZ and they tell me that it is not against the EULA to install DNS and DHCP on the WHS (it is against the EULA to run it as a domain controller though), so I have managed to successfully install the DHCP server, and now all I wish to do is create a secondary DNS server for my local SBS network, so if the server were to crash or be in any way impaired the phones and PC's would still have internet access and be able to resolve each other.
I have managed to install the DNS server role (wasn't called a role back in 2003, but you know what I mean), and now I need to know how to configure it to connect to the master DNS on the SBS 2008 box.
Hopefully this makes the question clearer.
All our clients are running Windows Backup and we have an identical spare server, in the event of a complete hardware failure, we load their latest backup to the spare server and get them going again (this is extremely rare but has happened). Now the backup can take anywhere from an hour to 3 hours depending on the amount of data, and without internet access and IP addresses for the PC's and IP phones, not only are they unable to use their computers, but they will have no telephone.
I have spoken to Microsoft NZ and they tell me that it is not against the EULA to install DNS and DHCP on the WHS (it is against the EULA to run it as a domain controller though), so I have managed to successfully install the DHCP server, and now all I wish to do is create a secondary DNS server for my local SBS network, so if the server were to crash or be in any way impaired the phones and PC's would still have internet access and be able to resolve each other.
I have managed to install the DNS server role (wasn't called a role back in 2003, but you know what I mean), and now I need to know how to configure it to connect to the master DNS on the SBS 2008 box.
Hopefully this makes the question clearer.
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