Re-configuring DNS

[Kevin]

My company has a windows NT domain at the primary site and
a w2k domain at a branch office.

The w2k domain name is setup as a child of the nt domain,
why I dont know. Im looking at re-configuring DNS on the
w2k domain as it hasn't been working since i've been here.
Is it possible to re-configure it without causing problems
to AD.
And if so does it have to be the save name as before?

 

[Herb Martin]

My company has a windows NT domain at the primary site and
a w2k domain at a branch office.

The w2k domain name is setup as a child of the nt domain,

Not really -- for two reasons:
1) NT Domains use NetBIOS which has no hierarchical structure
(i.e., not parent-child)
2) NT domains themselves have no tree like structure

Now, the name you use for the NT machines Whatever.com may
be the DNS parent of the Win2000 domain name but that is JUST
a DNS relationship.

why I dont know. Im looking at re-configuring DNS on the
w2k domain as it hasn't been working since i've been here.

Hasn't been working? This probably has nothing to do with the
NT relationship....what doesn't work? Resolution of names by
your clients? Resolution when you test a DNS server? Domain
replication? Something else?

Is it possible to re-configure it without causing problems
to AD.

No. Win2000 domain names are PERMANENT. Even in Win2003
the domains can only be renamed under very specific circumstances.

And if so does it have to be the save name as before?

In theory you could convert the Win2000 domain to an NT domain,
rename it, then reconvert it back to Win2000.

 

[Michael Johnston [MSFT]]

Well, there is no simply way of changing the Windows 2000 DNS name. The AD relies on this and therefore without
DCpromoing it down and rebuilding it, there isn't a way to change it. The configuration though doesn't sound like it should be a
problem. What DNS problems do you have? There may be other sollutions we can offer if we knew what the problems were.


Thank you,
Mike Johnston
Microsoft Network Support
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[Kevin D. Goodknecht [MVP]]

In

My company has a windows NT domain at the primary site and
a w2k domain at a branch office.

The w2k domain name is setup as a child of the nt domain,
why I dont know. Im looking at re-configuring DNS on the
w2k domain as it hasn't been working since i've been here.
Is it possible to re-configure it without causing problems
to AD.
And if so does it have to be the save name as before?

Actually a win2k domain cannot be a child of an NT4 domain in DNS terms
because NT4 does not use DNS to locate domain controllers.
It may cause a conflict if the NT4 has DNS running on it and has a zone for
the second level naem of the domain i.e. domain.com and the Win2k domain is
child.domain.com. If the NT4 DNS has a zone for domain.com you should best
add a delegation in it for the "child" name pointing that delegation back to
the DC in the Win2k domain. NT4 does not support DDNS so it cannot hold the
zone for the Win2k domain, other than a secondary for the zone on Win2k, the
Win2k DNS name must be listed as the SOA record.
If you want to make the Win2k a true child of the NT4 domain, you will need
to demote the Win2k domain and upgrade the NT4 domain to Win2k with the DNS
name of the parent, then re-promote the child as a true child of the AD
parent.
As for now the Win2k does not see it self as the child, it sees itself as a
trusted partner, or at least it should.

 

[Ace Fekay [MVP]]

In

My company has a windows NT domain at the primary site and
a w2k domain at a branch office.

The w2k domain name is setup as a child of the nt domain,
why I dont know. Im looking at re-configuring DNS on the
w2k domain as it hasn't been working since i've been here.
Is it possible to re-configure it without causing problems
to AD.
And if so does it have to be the save name as before?

Besides that W2k CANNOT be a child to an NT4 domain (as everyone has pointed
out already), what EXACTLY is not working? Can you provide more info for us
to help out, such as Event Log errors (post the Event ID #s please).

Also, is there a trust between the NT4 and W2k domain?


--
Regards,
Ace

Please direct all replies to the newsgroup so all can benefit.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2000, MCSE+I, MCSA, MCT, MVP
Microsoft Windows MVP - Active Directory