Delegate the DNS Zone for the Windows Server 2003 Domain

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

If your organization has an existing DNS infrastructure, review current network diagrams and DNS domain hierarchy diagrams. Also review the existing DNS zone configuration, replication, and resource records that are used for delegation and forwarding. To configure the DNS zone for the single domain forest, the DNS administrator of your existing DNS infrastructure delegates the zone matching the name of the new Windows Server 2003 domain to the DNS servers that are running on the domain controllers in the single domain forest.

Important

• When no DNS infrastructure exists, skip this step in the process for upgrading to a single domain forest and proceed to the next step, "Configure Protection Against Domain Controller Overload on Additional Domain Controllers" later in this chapter. The remainder of this step describes the process of configuring and delegating a zone in the existing DNS internal namespace.

In preparation for the deployment of the single domain forest, create a delegation for the DNS servers that will be running on the domain controllers in the Windows Server 2003 domain. Create the delegation by adding DNS name server (NS) and address (A) resource records to the parent DNS zone.

Note

• The delegation that occurs in this step references the first Windows Server 2003–based domain controller, which does not currently exist. The DNS service is installed and configured on the first Windows Server 2003–based domain controller in a later step.

To delegate the DNS zone for the Windows Server 2003 domain

1. Create a name server (NS) resource record in the parent zone. Use the full DNS name of the domain controller.

forest_root_domain* IN NS *domain_controller_name

2. Create a host address (A) resource record in the parent zone. Use the full DNS name of the domain controller.

domain_controller_name* IN A *domain_controller_ip_address

For example, the DNS administrator for Fabrikam created the following DNS resource records in the parent zone, fabrikam.com:  
  
  - **fabricorp** IN NS **SEA-FAB-DC01.fabricorp.fabrikam.com**  
      
  - **SEA-FAB-DC01.fabricorp.fabrikam.com** IN A **172.16.16.2**