Dnscmd Overview

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

Dnscmd.exe: DNS Server Troubleshooting Tool

This command-line tool assists administrators in Domain Name System (DNS) management.

DNSCmd displays and changes the properties of DNS servers, zones, and resource records. It manually modifies these properties, creates and deletes zones and resource records, and forces replication events between DNS server physical memory and DNS databases and data files. Some operations of this tool work at the DNS server level while others work at the zone level.

Note

  • DNSCmd enhances the functionality of and replaces Dnsstat.exe, a tool included in some versions of the Windows NT Resource Kit.

Corresponding UI

To manually view and manage DNS by using the DNS Server snap-in in Windows

  1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then point to Administrative Tools.

  2. Click DNS.

  3. For information about how to use DNS, right-click DNS, and then click Help.

Open DNS Server snap-in now.

Concepts

DNS resolves computer names to IP addresses so that users can refer to computers by name rather than by a series of numbers.

For more information about DNS, see "DNS" and "DNS Concepts" in Help for Windows Server 2003.

System Requirements

DNSCmd runs on a source computer and acts on a target computer. The target computer can be the same computer as the source computer, or it can be a different computer.

Source Computer Requirements

The following are the system requirements for the source computer:

  • Dnscmd.exe

  • User's membership in the Administrators or Server Operators group on the target computer. Both the user account and the server computer must be members of the same domain or reside within trusted domains.

Target Computer Requirements

The DNS service must be installed on the target computer.

File Required

  • Dnscmd.exe

See Also

Concepts

Dnscmd Syntax
Dnscmd Examples
Alphabetical List of Tools
Spcheck Overview
Nltest Overview
Netdom Overview
Netdiag Overview
Netcap Overview
Httpcfg Overview
Dnslint Overview
Dnscmd Overview
Dhcploc Overview
Dcdiag Overview
Browstat Overview