Setup DNS with Multiple Servers

[dave Admin]

I have a Server2003, SP1 network, three sites, each with a DC running DNS.
Site A, Server A, Site B with Server B and Site C with Server C. Site A was
setup first and the DC is the FSMO. A single DNS zone with one domain, I
only have about 115 XP, SP2 workstations in the three sites. I experience
no replications problems, DFS works great, no errors in the event logs,
replication works with no problems. Changes to DNS on any one server get
replicated to the other two servers.

The only issue is half the workstations in Site B show up in the DHCP mmc as
"DNS Dynamic Update Pending". The other half correctly show up as an Active
lease.

Here's the Question:

The first DNS server, Server A only points to itself in the Preferred DNS
server setup.

The second DNS server, Server B only points to Server A. no alternate was
put in the properties because I thought that this was a secondary server and
should point to the primary DNS server.

The third DNS server, server C points to itself as the primary and Server A
as the alternate. Site C does not have a DHCP server, there are only 6
workstations and the DC is rather old so static IP was setup on the
workstations. But apparently I did set this secondary DNS server different
than the other one.

The DNS scope option (006) for DHCP in Server A has Server A first and
Server B second for redundancy..
The DNS scope option (006) for DHCP in Server B has Server B first and
Server A second for redundancy.

So is the TCP/IP setup on Server B pointing to Server A for its DNS causing
the problem with the pending DNS Dynamic update??

dave ADMIN

 

[Ryan Hanisco]

Dave,

Take a look at:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;291382

You generally want to have domain controllers pointing to themselves for
DNS resolution. This article will give you a good general rundown.

Ryan Hanisco

 

[Kevin D. Goodknecht Sr. [MVP]]

I have a Server2003, SP1 network, three sites, each with a DC running
DNS. Site A, Server A, Site B with Server B and Site C with Server C.
Site A was setup first and the DC is the FSMO. A single DNS zone
with one domain, I only have about 115 XP, SP2 workstations in the
three sites. I experience no replications problems, DFS works great,
no errors in the event logs, replication works with no problems.
Changes to DNS on any one server get replicated to the other two
servers.

The only issue is half the workstations in Site B show up in the DHCP
mmc as "DNS Dynamic Update Pending". The other half correctly show up
as an Active lease.

Here's the Question:

The first DNS server, Server A only points to itself in the Preferred
DNS server setup.

The second DNS server, Server B only points to Server A. no alternate
was put in the properties because I thought that this was a secondary
server and should point to the primary DNS server.

Actually, if you are using AD integrated zones, you should have no Secondary
zones. Calling an Alternate DNS server a Secondary server is a misnomer
because DNS servers are neither primary or Secondary, only zones can be
primary or secondary. If you have AD intergrated zones, all are primary
masters, none can be secondary, a secondary is a read only copy of a
primary.
As for the dynamic update pending in DHCP, as per my previous post in your
other thread earlier today, does the DHCP server have a user account
assigned for updating DNS?

Read this section :Security considerations when you use the DnsUpdateProxy
group in this KB:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816592/en-us#XSLTH4271121122120121120120