DNS and Active Directory

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

Active Directory uses Domain Name System (DNS) name resolution services to make it possible for clients to locate domain controllers and to make it possible for the domain controllers that host the directory service to communicate with each other.

Active Directory enables easy integration of the Active Directory namespace into an existing DNS namespace. Features such as Active Directory–integrated zones make it easier for you to deploy DNS by eliminating the need to set up secondary zones and configure zone transfers.

For information about how DNS supports Active Directory, see the DNS Support for Active Directory Technical Reference (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=48147) as well as "Deploying DNS" in Deploying Network Services in this kit.

Note

If you implement a disjoint namespace in which the Active Directory domain name differs from the primary DNS suffix that clients use, Active Directory integration with DNS is more complex. For more information, see Disjoint Namespace.