How to Configure Forwarders and Root Hints on Windows Server 2003

How to Configure Forwarders and Root Hints on Windows Server 2003

 

How to Configure Forwarders

Windows Server 2003 can take advantage of DNS forwarders. This feature forwards DNS requests to external servers. If a DNS server cannot find a resource record in its zones, it can send the request to another DNS server for additional attempts at resolution. A common scenario might be to configure forwarders to your ISP's DNS servers.

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
2. Right-click ServerName, where ServerName is the name of the server, and then click the Forwarders tab.
3. Click a DNS domain in the DNS domain list. Or, click New, type the name of the DNS domain for which you want to forward queries in the DNS domain box, and then click OK.
4. In the Selected domain's forwarder IP address box, type the IP address of the first DNS server to which you want to forward, and then click Add.
5. Repeat step 4 to add the DNS servers to which you want to forward.
6. Click OK.

How to Configure Root Hints

Windows can use root hints. The Root Hints resource records can be stored in either Active Directory or in a text file (%SystemRoot%\System32\DNS\Cache.dns). Windows uses the standard Internic root server. Also, when a server running Windows Server 2003 queries a root server, it updates itself with the most recent list of root servers.

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
2. Right-click ServerName, where ServerName is the name of the server, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Root Hints tab. The DNS server's root servers are listed in the Name servers list.
   
   If the Root Hints tab is unavailable, your server is still configured as a root server. See the How to Remove the Root DNS Zone section earlier in this article. You may have to use custom root hints that are different from the default. However, a configuration that points to the same server for root hints is always incorrect. Do not modify your root hints. If your root hints are incorrect and have to be replaced, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   237675 Setting up the Domain Name System for Active Directory