DNS: DNS servers on <adapter name> should include their own IP addresses on their interface lists of DNS servers

Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

This topic is intended to address a specific issue identified by a Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer or Best Practices Analyzer scan. You should apply the information in this topic only to computers that have had the DNS Microsoft Baseline Configuration Analyzer or DNS Best Practices Analyzer run against them and are experiencing the issue addressed by this topic. For more information about best practices and scans, see Best Practices Analyzer.

Operating System

Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

Product/Feature

DNS

Severity

Not Critical

Category

Configuration

Issue

DNS servers should include their own IP addresses on their interface lists of DNS servers. The interfaces on the adapter on the target computer that is a DNS server does not include its own IP address in the list of DNS servers.

Impact

The inclusion of its own IP address in the list of DNS servers improves performance and increases availability of DNS servers.

The inclusion of its own IP address in the list of DNS servers improves performance and increases availability of DNS servers. However, if the DNS server is also a domain controller and it points only to itself for name resolution, it can become an island and fail to replicate with other domain controllers. For this reason, use caution when configuring the loopback address on an adapter if the server is also a domain controller. The loopback address should be configured only as a secondary or tertiary DNS server on a domain controller.

Resolution

Add the loopback IP address to the list of DNS servers on all active interfaces. The loopback IP address should not be the first server in the list.

Configure network adapters on this DNS server to use the loopback address (127.0.0.1 or 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1) as one of the DNS servers.

To configure DNS for IPv4 loopback addressing

  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet, click Network and Sharing Center, click Change Adapter settings, double-click the network connection you want to change, and then click Properties.

  2. Click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and then click Properties.

  3. Click Advanced, and then click DNS.

  4. Click Add, and then type the loopback IP address: 127.0.0.1.

To configure DNS for IPv6 loopback addressing

  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet, click Network and Sharing Center, click Change Adapter settings, double-click the network connection you want to change, and then click Properties.

  2. Click Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6), and then click Properties.

  3. Click Advanced, and then click DNS.

  4. Click Add, and then type the loopback IP address: 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1.

See Also

Other Resources

DNS Server becomes an island when a domain controller points to itself for the _msdcs.ForestDnsName domain