Move DNS Data into DNS Application Directory Partitions

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

Note

The procedures in this topic are optional. If you are upgrading Windows Server 2003 Active Directory domains, your Domain Name System (DNS) zones have already been stored in the DNS application directory partitions. However, if you are upgrading Windows 2000 Active Directory domains, you might choose to move your DNS zones into the newly created DNS application directory partitions.

To reduce replication traffic and the amount of data stored in the global catalog, you can use application directory partitions for Active Directory–integrated DNS zones.

After completing the upgrade of all Windows 2000–based domain controllers in the forest, move the Active Directory–integrated DNS data on all DNS servers from the domain partition into the newly created DNS application directory partitions. You can do this by changing the replication scope of the DNS zones.

Move the DNS zones that you want to replicate to all DNS servers in the forest to the forest-wide DNS application directory partition, ForestDnsZones. For each domain in the forest, move the DNS zones that you want to replicate to all DNS servers in the domain to the domain-wide DNS application directory partition, DomainDnsZones.

Important

Before you attempt to move DNS data to an application directory partition, make sure that the domain naming operations master is hosted on at least a Windows Server 2003–based version domain controller.

If the _msdcs.forest_root_domain zone is not present as a separate zone on your DNS server, you do not need to perform this procedure because the DNS data that is stored in the _msdcs.forest_root_domain is moved with the forest root domain zone to the domain-wide application directory partition, DomainDnsZones.

Note

For more information about DNS and application directory partitions, see Appendix A: Background Information for Upgrading Active Directory Domains.

Membership in Domain Admins or Enterprise Admins, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at Local and Domain Default Groups (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).

To change the replication scope of the domain-wide DNS zone by using a DNS application directory partition

  1. On a domain controller that hosts a DNS server in a particular domain, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click DNS to open the DNS Manager.

  2. Right-click the DNS zone that uses the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the Active Directory domain, and then click Properties.

  3. Click the Change button next to Replication: All DNS servers in this domain.

  4. Click To all DNS servers in this domain:<domain_name>, and then click OK.

Membership in Domain Admins or Enterprise Admins, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at Local and Domain Default Groups (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).

To change the replication scope of the _msdcs.forest_root_domain DNS zone by using a DNS application directory partition

  1. On a domain controller that hosts a DNS server in the forest root domain, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click DNS to open DNS Manager.

  2. Right-click the _msdcs.<forest_root_domain> DNS zone, and then click Properties.

  3. Click the Change button next to Replication: All DNS servers in this forest.

  4. Click To all DNS servers in this forest:<forest_name>, and then click OK.

For more information, see Deploying Domain Name System (DNS) (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93656).