Configuring DNS for the Forest Root Domain

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

To configure Domain Name System (DNS) for the forest root domain, the DNS administrator of your organization delegates the zone that matches the name of the forest root domain to the DNS servers (domain controllers) that you plan to install in the forest root domain.

Important

When no DNS infrastructure exists, you do not have to configure the forest root domain. To complete the next step in the deployment process, see Creating the Forest Root Domain. The remainder of this document describes the process of configuring and delegating a zone in the existing DNS internal namespace. If you plan to implement an Active Directory domain namespace that does not match the DNS namespace, first read Disjoint Namespace, and then follow the steps in Create a Disjoint Namespace. If a disjoint namespace already exists, and you want to use a contiguous namespace, see Transition from a Disjoint Namespace to a Contiguous Namespace.

The following illustration shows when you configure DNS for the forest root domain in the forest root domain deployment process.

Configuring DNS for the Forest Root Domain

In preparation for the forest root domain deployment, you create a delegation for the DNS servers that will run on the domain controllers in the forest root domain. To create the delegation, you add DNS name server (NS) and host (A) resource records to the parent DNS zone.

Note

The delegation that occurs references the first forest root domain controller, which does not currently exist. You install and configure the DNS service on the first forest root domain controller in a subsequent step.

To delegate the DNS zone for the forest root domain

  1. Create a name server (NS) resource record in the parent zone.

    Use the left-most portion of the forest root domain name, and the full DNS name of the domain controller, as shown in the following syntax:

    forest_root_domain IN NS domain_controller_name

  2. Create a host (A) resource record in the parent zone.

    Use the full DNS name of the domain controller, as shown in the following syntax:

    domain_controller_name IN A domain_controller_ip_address

    For example, the DNS administrator for Trey Research created the following DNS resource records in the parent zone, treyresearch.net:

    • trccorp in the name server (NS) SEA-TRC-DC01.trccorp.treyresearch.net

    • SEA-TRC-DC01.trccorp.treyresearch.net in the 172.16.16.2 domain