Installing Active Directory - is local DNS needed?

[Guest]

Hi,

We want to setup a local LDAP (Active Directory domain) within our
development environment. This AD is separate from our corporate domains

We will either use Windows 2000 server or Windows 2003 server (Enterprise
edition). (Is there any difference?)

Do we need to install and configure a local DNS in order to complete our
Active Directory? Or is it enough to point to an external DNS (outside the
development AD domain)?

If we use an external DNS, what is the impact?

Thanks for an clarifications,
Jan

 

[Tomasz Onyszko]

Hi,

We want to setup a local LDAP (Active Directory domain) within our
development environment. This AD is separate from our corporate domains

One question You need LDAP server only or AD with authentication
mechanisms? If LDAP only You can use ADAM

We will either use Windows 2000 server or Windows 2003 server (Enterprise
edition). (Is there any difference?)

For AD deployment - not, unless you want to use hardware with more then
two processors and more RAM

Do we need to install and configure a local DNS in order to complete our
Active Directory? Or is it enough to point to an external DNS (outside the
development AD domain)?

OK - You need DNS which will support SRV records and dynamic updates. If
it will be Your local DNS server or other DNS server it doesn't matter
as long as this server supports this features, but .. with DNS other
then WIndows DNS server some additional configuration may be needed

If we use an external DNS, what is the impact?

Only that Your DNS queries will have to travel through the network
connection and that DNS data of this domain are out of your control If
You don't have control on this external server.

But possible scenario is to install local DNS server on this machine
which will act as DC and configure for this DNS server external DNS as
forwarder for other then local name resolution.

 

[Enkidu]

Hi,

We want to setup a local LDAP (Active Directory domain) within our
development environment. This AD is separate from our corporate domains

We will either use Windows 2000 server or Windows 2003 server (Enterprise
edition). (Is there any difference?)

Do we need to install and configure a local DNS in order to complete our
Active Directory? Or is it enough to point to an external DNS (outside the
development AD domain)?

Your DNS could be on the moon, so far as AD is concerned. AD
*uses* DNS. DNS is NOT part of AD. That said, it is much
easier if you fit DNS comfortably into your network, which
essentially means running AD on DCs, usually in integrated mode.

If we use an external DNS, what is the impact?

Greater complexity, pollution of the 'foreign' DNS with
information from your AD, network costs...

Cheers,

Cliff

 

[Guest]

Excellent info.

Yes, I will most probably go with the local DNS with the forwarder option,
(which was thought of prior to this post as well).

In this case we can't use ADAM though.

Cheers,
Jan