Windows 2000 DNS Forwarding problem

[Adam]

Hi everyone,
I have DNS installed on my Active Directory Domain Controller with
forwarding enabled for external requests. Occasionally the server
stops resolving external names (at random). Sometimes it can run fine
for weeks or even months without a problem. A simple restart of the
DNS Server service corrects the problem until the next time. There
are no errors or warnings in the event log to indicate why this might
be happening. Any input on this matter would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Adam

 

[Herb Martin]

I have DNS installed on my Active Directory Domain Controller with

forwarding enabled for external requests. Occasionally the server
stops resolving external names (at random). Sometimes it can run fine
for weeks or even months without a problem. A simple restart of the
DNS Server service corrects the problem until the next time. There
are no errors or warnings in the event log to indicate why this might
be happening. Any input on this matter would be appreciated.

When you say "stops resolving external names" you mean for clients, right?

How do you know? (really, as the test you ran may tell us more, especially
since this appears to be some type of intermittent problem.)

If you mean the server itself stops being able to resolve for itself (as a
client),
then perhaps you have more than one (set of) DNS server(s) listed on the
client NIC settings. The server should list only itself, but certainly only
internal DNS servers in the same set.

Clients might have this problem too and it might appear the server is
failing
when it is really a client problem.

 

[Adam]

When you say "stops resolving external names" you mean for clients,
right?

Clients and servers as well as itself. It stops forwarding requests
basically. It has no problem resolving internal names though just wont
go out to the external DNS and retrieve information anymore.

How do you know? (really, as the test you ran may tell us more,
especially since this appears to be some type of intermittent
problem.)

I tried NSLOOKUP as well as simple ping from the server itself and other
servers and clients.

If you mean the server itself stops being able to resolve for itself
(as a client),
then perhaps you have more than one (set of) DNS server(s) listed on
the client NIC settings. The server should list only itself, but
certainly only internal DNS servers in the same set.

Theres only one server, its active directory integrated, and all clients
only point to the 1 DNS server. The DNS server is configured to forward
requests it cant handle to an external DNS server (which in fact is my
own external DNS server sitting on the internet). The internet DNS
server was serving requests fine. It was the internal that stopped
forwarding.

Clients might have this problem too and it might appear the server is
failing
when it is really a client problem.

Nope, definitely a server problem. Like I said, restarting the DNS Server
service solved the problem for all servers and clients trying to make
requests.