Configure the Domain Name System (DNS) Client Settings of the First and Subsequent Domain Controllers

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

After you have deployed an additional domain controller, modify the DNS client settings on the first forest root domain controller. Because no other domain controllers were running when you deployed the first forest root domain controller, modify the DNS client settings on the first forest root domain controller to include the additional domain controller. As you deploy more domain controllers, you might also need to modify the Alternate DNS server setting specified on existing domain controllers to ensure that this setting points to the DNS server that is connected through the minimum number of network segments.

To configure the DNS client settings on previously installed domain controllers

  1. Open Network Connections, double-click your Local Area Connection, click Properties, click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to highlight it, and then click Properties.

  2. For the Preferred DNS server, type the IP address of the DNS server that is running locally on the domain controller (local host).

  3. Determine whether a newly installed domain controller is now closer to this domain controller than the domain controller that you originally specified as the Alternate DNS server. If it is, for Alternate DNS server, type the IP address of the newly installed domain controller.