DNS Automatic configuration during DCPromo DNS Server insstallation

The following illustrates flow process if "local DNS server is installed during the DC installation using DcPromo command"

DcPromo causes the DNS server service to be installed and started, it sends an RPC operation called “AutoConfigure” to the DNS server. This should be done just before any zones are created by DcPromo.

When DNS server receives this RPC request it performs the following configuration:

Suppose you have LAN connections with primary and secondary DNS servers is
192.168.1.1, 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.3 198.168.1.1

if a server has a single local are network connection OR if the set of preferred and alternate DNS servers on all local are network connections are the same OR if the preferred DNS servers are specified only on one local are connection connection

prime the root hints by contacting a DNS server currently specified as the preferred and also alternate DNS server(s) of a (Domain Controller) DC if necessary.

Then configure local DNS server of Domain Controller (DC) to forward DNS operations to the DNS server currently specified as the preferred and alternate DNS servers of a DC.


Now configure each local are network connection of the DC with the following list of the DNS servers: 127.0.0.1, the IP addresses of the preconfigured preferred and alternate DNS servers on that local are network connection.


The above condition is not true for the following network connection setup:

Now DC host queries preferred and alternate DNS servers on all network connections for the root hints.

if among all the root hints returned from all network connections there is at least one root server returned from all network connections, then
set the root hints to the largest set of the root hints among returned from all the connections (in case of a tie, choose the set returned from the preferred adapter)

configure local DNS server to forward to the DNS servers currently specified as the preferred and alternate DNS servers of a DC on all the network connections.

configure each interface of the DC with the following list of the DNS servers: 127.0.0.1, the IP addresses of the preconfigured preferred and alternate DNS servers on that network connection.


If both fails then DC logs the following Warning


The DNS server could not configure network connections of this computer with the DNS server running on the computer as their preferred DNS server, because this computer is connected to the networks with different DNS namespaces. Manual configuration of the local DNS server to perform name resolution on one or more of the namespaces is required before one may modify the preferred DNS servers (part of the TCP/IP configuration) of the network connections.


If the network connections of this computer are not configured with the DNS server running on the computer as their preferred DNS server, this computer may not be able to dynamically register DC locator DNS records in DNS. Absence of these records in DNS may prevent other Active Directory domain members and domain controllers from locating this domain controller.


After completing the installation, TCP/IP configuration is automated so that the DNS client service of local machine will point to its own local DNS server as the preferred DNS server..

How to remove child domain

The following uses Active Directory Services wizard to remove the sub domain child.mydnstest from the parent domain mydnstest.

1. Run dcpromo /adv from command prompt
2. Select "This server is last domain controller in the domain" option in Remove Active Directory wizard and Click next.
3. Enter user name, password and the child domain name "child.mydnstest" to be removed in network credentials dialog and click next.
4. Enter Remove mode Admin user name and password and click next.
5. Check remove summary dialog box and click next
6. Thus successfully remove the child domain child.mydnstest

create new child domain

The following setup shows on how to add a child(sub) domain in to an existing domain with the help of Active Directory Installation wizard in windows 2003.

1. Assume the parent domain is "mydnstest" and child domain which is to be created is child.mydnstest.
2. run dcpromo command on command prompt.


3. Click next in Active Directory installation wizard.


4. Click next in Operating System Compatibility wizard


5. Select "Domain Controller for new domain" in Domain Controller Dialog and click next.


6. Select "Child Domain in existing domain tree" option in create new domain wizard and click next.


7. Enter the user name, password and the child domain name child.mydnstest.


8. Enter child domain name "child" in Child Domain installation dialog and click next.


8. Enter the child domain netbios name "child" and click next in "Netbios Domain Name" dialog.


9. Enter DB and log location (optinal) in "Database and Log Folders" dialog and click next.


10. Enter the system volume location (optional) in "Share System Volume" dialog and click next.



11. Click next in "DNS Regressions Diagonstics" dialog.


12. Select "Permissions compatible only with windows 2003 or windows sever 2003 operating systems" in Permissions dialog and click next.


13. Enter Administrator password in Directory Services Restore mode administrator password dialog and click next.


14.Verify the summary dialog and click next.


15. Thus completes creating child domain child.mydnstest.


To Uninstall the same, visit UnInstall Subdomain DNS .

Add Additional Domain Controller

If the DNS is integrated with Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), then as many domain controllers can be added to an existing domain as possible.

The following shows on how to add an additional domain controller to an existing domain in windows 2003.

1. Run dcpromo /adv on command prompt.
2. Check the "Active Directory Installation wizard" and click next.
3. Check the "Operating System Compatibility" Dialog box and click next.
4. Select "Additinal Domain Controller for an existing domain" option in Domain Controller dialog and click next.
5. select "over network from domain controller" option and click next. 6. Enter the user name, password and Domain Name "mydnstest" in "network Credentials dialog" and click next.
7.Enter the domain name "mydnstest" in Additional Domain Controller dialog and click next.
8.Click "yes" on active directory installation wizard. 9. Click next in Database and Log Folders dialog.
10. Enter shared volume location in Share System Volume dialog and click next.
11. Enter the restore mode administrator password in "Restore mode Administrator Password" dialog and click next.
12. Click next on summary dialog. Adding additional domain controllers gives the ability to locate the servers in sites more efficiently by DNS clients. In addition, Having multiple Domain controller results in load balancing and thus improves overall performance of DNS. Some times installation of additional domain controllers fails. The link Unable To install Additional DNS lists some possible reasons for failure.

Install Domain Controller (DC) silently :Unattended

It is also possible to install Domain Controller (DC) silently using unattended file. The following shows the steps for silently installing Domain Controller using unattended file.

1. Create a file with any name say dcpromo.txt and paste the following in the file

[DCInstall]

Username = Administrator

Password = AdminPassword

UserDomain = testdomain.com

ReplicaOrNewDomain = NewDomain

RebootOnSuccess = no

SafeModeAdminPassword = SafeAdminPassword

SiteName = Default-First-Site-Name

2. UserName is the user account with admin credentials to be used for running DCPromo command

3. Change the [AdminPassword] with administrator password.

4. SafeAdminPassword is option if need to change, change it to any password.

5. Now run dcpromo /unattend:dcpromo.txt on command prompt.

On success, testdomain.com domain will be created.

How to setup Domain Controller (DC)

The following steps shows on how to install Domain Controller.

1. Open Command prompt and type dcpromo.2. Verify the Active Directory Installation wizard Click Next.
3. Now select "Domain Controller for New Domain" option and click next.
4. Check Domain in a new forest option and click next.
5. Now enter now domain name say testdns.com and click next.
6. Next, enter netbios name and click next
7. Specify the locations for storing DNS database and logs and click next
8. Specify the system volume location and click next
9. Select "I will correct the problem later by configuring DNS manually" and click next.

10. Select "Permissions compatible only with windows 2000 and windows server 2003" and click next 11. Enter Restore mode password and click next 12. Once the summary dialog box comes, then click next 13. Now DNS installation wizard comesup.

To install DNS on command prompt, visit the link Install Domain Controller On command line.