New DNS server

[Tom K]

I will be formatting and rebuilding my Win2K AD server, that is a DNS
(primary), DHCP, and WINS server.

Can I go to any Win2K SP4 Server secondary DNS server, click on the Make
Primary, and the original Primary Server will step down, or must I make the
Primary a secondary first, then promote the secondary to primary...?

Can I do the same for a Win2K3 secondary DNS server, promote it to primary
DNS very easily...?

 

[Kevin D. Goodknecht Sr. [MVP]]

In

I will be formatting and rebuilding my Win2K AD server,
that is a DNS (primary), DHCP, and WINS server.

It is not wise to just format and rebuild a DC, it should be demoted to a
member then removed from the domain first.

Can I go to any Win2K SP4 Server secondary DNS server,
click on the Make Primary, and the original Primary
Server will step down, or must I make the Primary a
secondary first, then promote the secondary to
primary...?

Can I do the same for a Win2K3 secondary DNS server,
promote it to primary DNS very easily...?

Are you using Standard Primary and Standard Secondary zones?
If you have multiple DCs I would recommend using Active Directory Integrated
zones instead. ADI zones are replicated to all DCs in the domain without
further configuration.

 

[Tom K]

Yes, I understand.

But in regards to DNS, do I promote a secondary DNS server to Primary and
the other primary will automatically go to secondary, or is there a special
way to "swap" these roles.

Also, can I swap them if one is on a Win2K and the other on a Win2K3
server...?

 

[Kevin D. Goodknecht Sr. [MVP]]

In

Yes, I understand.

But in regards to DNS, do I promote a secondary DNS
server to Primary and the other primary will
automatically go to secondary, or is there a special way
to "swap" these roles.

DNS servers are not promoted or demoted, zones can be Primary or Secondary
or Primary stored in Active Directory(Active Directory integrated) and No,
there is no way to automatically change the zone type. If you want to change
the zone type, change the secondary to a primary, then change the primary to
a secondary. If the zone is for an AD domain don't put the cart ahead of the
horse, DNS is where Domain controllers store their service location records.

Also, can I swap them if one is on a Win2K and the other
on a Win2K3 server...?

Yes.