Using Stub Zones for DNS Operations
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
You can use stub zones to:
Keep delegated zone information current. By updating a stub zone for one of its child zones regularly, the Domain Name System (DNS) server that hosts both the parent zone and the stub zone maintains a current list of authoritative DNS servers for the child zone.
Improve name resolution. Stub zones enable a DNS server to perform recursion by using the stub zone's list of name servers, without needing to query the Internet or the internal root server for the DNS namespace.
Simplify DNS administration. By using stub zones throughout your DNS infrastructure, you can distribute a list of the authoritative DNS servers for a zone without using secondary zones. However, stub zones do not serve the same purpose as secondary zones, and they are not a valid alternative to secondary zones with regard to redundancy and load sharing.
When a DNS server loads a stub zone, it queries the master servers, which can be in different locations, for the necessary resource records of the authoritative servers for the zone. The list of master servers may contain a single server or multiple servers, and the list can be changed anytime.
For more information about planning DNS zones, see Deploying Domain Name System (DNS) on the Microsoft Web site (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=45677).
Task requirements
To begin this task, perform the following requirements:
- Install Dnscmd.
To complete this task, perform one of the following procedures: