Modify the start of authority (SOA) record for a zone

  • Article

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

To modify the start of authority (SOA) record for a zone

  • Using the Windows interface

  • Using a command line

Using the Windows interface

  1. Open DNS.

  2. In the console tree, right-click the applicable zone, and then click Properties.

  3. Click the Start of Authority (SOA) tab.

  4. As needed, modify properties for the start of authority (SOA) record.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

  • To open DNS, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click DNS.

  • The settings applied for the start of authority (SOA) record affect how zone transfers are made between servers. For more information, see Related Topics.

Using a command line

  1. Open Command Prompt.

  2. Type:

    dnscmdServerName**/RecordAddZoneNameNodeName [/Aging**] [Ttl] SOA PrimSvr Admin Serial#\ Refresh Retry Expire MinTTL

Value Description

dnscmd

Specifies the name of the command-line program.

ServerName

Required. Specifies the DNS host name of the DNS server. You can also type the IP address of the DNS server. To specify the DNS server on the local computer, you can also type a period (.)

/RecordAdd

Required. Adds or modifies a resource record.

ZoneName

Required. Specifies the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the zone.

NodeName

Required. Specifies the FQDN of the node in the DNS namespace for which the SOA record is added. You can also type the node name relative to the ZoneName or @, which specifies the zone's root node.

/Aging

Specifies that this resource record is able to be aged and scavenged. If this parameter is not used, the resource record remains in the DNS database unless it is manually updated or removed.

/OpenAcl

Specifies that new records are open to modification by any user. Without this parameter, only administrators may modify the new record.

Ttl

Specifies the Time to Live (TTL) setting for the resource record. (The default TTL is defined in SOA resource record).

SOA

Required. Specifies the type of resource record you are modifying.

PrimSvr

Required. Specifies the FQDN name of the server that is the primary source for information about the zone. For example, nameserver.place.example.microsoft.com.

Admin

Required. Specifies the name of the DNS administrator for the zone. For example, postmaster.nameserver.place.example.microsoft.com.

Serial#\

Required. Specifies the version information for the zone.

Refresh

Required. Specifies the refresh interval for the zone. The standard setting is 3600 (one hour).

Retry

Required. Specifies the retry interval for the zone. The standard setting is 600 (ten minutes).

Expire

Required. Specifies the expire interval for the zone. The standard setting is 86400 (one day).

MinTTL

Required. Specifies the minimum Time to Live (TTL) value. This is the length of time used by other DNS servers to determine how long to cache information for a record in the zone before expiring and discarding it. The standard setting is 3600 (one hour).

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

  • To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.

  • This procedure requires the Dnscmd Windows support tool. For information about installing Windows support tools, see Related Topics.

  • To view the complete syntax for this command, at a command prompt, type:

    dnscmd /RecordAdd /help

  • To modify any specific SOA resource record's values using dnscmd, you must specify all of the SOA values (PrimSvr Admin Serial#\ Refresh Retry Expire MinTTL).

Formatting legend

Format Meaning

Italic

Information that the user must supply

Bold

Elements that the user must type exactly as shown

Ellipsis (...)

Parameter that can be repeated several times in a command line

Between brackets ([])

Optional items

Between braces ({}); choices separated by pipe (|). Example: {even|odd}

Set of choices from which the user must choose only one

Courier font

Code or program output

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Managing authority records
Managing general properties
Understanding zones and zone transfer
Install Windows Support Tools