Audience
This book is intended primarily for Windows 2000 system administrators who manage zones and one or more
name
servers, but it also includes material for network
engineers
, postmasters, and others. Not all the book's chapters will be equally interesting to a diverse audience, though, and you don't want to wade through 14 chapters to find the information pertinent to your job. We hope this road map will help you plot your way through the book.
System administrators setting up their first zones
should read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 for DNS theory, Chapter 3 for information on getting started and selecting a good domain name, then Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 to learn how to set up a zone for the first time. Chapter 6 explains how to configure
hosts
to use the new name servers. Soon after, they should read Chapter 7, which explains how to "flesh out" their implementation by setting up additional name servers and adding additional zone data. Chapter 12 and Chapter 13 describe useful troubleshooting tools and techniques.
Experienced
administrators
may benefit from reading Chapter 6 to learn how to configure DNS
resolvers
on different hosts and Chapter 7 for information on maintaining their zones. Chapter 8 contains instructions on how to plan for a zone's growth and evolution, which should be
especially
valuable
to administrators of large zones. Chapter 9 explains parentingcreating subdomainswhich is essential reading for those considering the big move. Chapter 10 covers security features of the Microsoft DNS Server, many of which may be useful for experienced administrators. The new-to-Windows 2000 features covered in Chapter 11 will be helpful to experienced administrators making the jump from Windows NT. Chapter 12 and Chapter 13 describe tools and techniques for troubleshooting, which even advanced administrators may find worth reading.
System administrators on networks without full Internet connectivity
should read Chapter 5 to learn how to configure mail on such networks and Chapter 14 to learn how to set up an independent DNS infrastructure.
Network administrators not directly responsible for any zones
should still read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 for DNS theory, then Chapter 12 to learn how to use
nslookup
, plus Chapter 13 for troubleshooting tactics.
Postmasters
should read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 for DNS theory, then Chapter 5 to find out how DNS and electronic mail coexist. Chapter 12, which describes
nslookup
, will also help postmasters dig mail routing information out of the domain namespace.
Interested users
can read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 for DNS theory, and then whatever else they like!
Note that we assume you're familiar with basic Windows 2000 system administration and TCP/IP networking. We don't assume you have any other specialized knowledge, though. When we introduce a new
term
or concept, we'll do our best to define or explain it. Whenever possible, we'll use
analogies
from Windows (and from the real world) to help you understand.
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