Chapter 3. Managing Name Resolution

Terms you'll need to understand:

Hostnames
Domain Name System (DNS)
Recursive and iterative queries
Primary, secondary, and stub zones
Dynamic update
Delegation
Caching-only server
Root name server
Resource records

Techniques you'll need to master:

Installing and configuring the DNS Server service
Configuring zones
Understanding a caching-only server
Understanding DNS zone types
Managing zones and resource records
Implementing a delegated zone for DNS
Monitoring a DNS server

Each machine on a computer network is assigned a unique network address. Computers communicate with each other across networks by connecting to these network addresses. These numbers, also known as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, consist of four groups of numbers , or octets, and can be difficult for people to remember. To solve this dilemma, a system was developed whereby people can use "friendly" names that are then translated automatically into IP addresses that computers use to locate each other and to communicate. These friendly names are called hostnames , and each machine is assigned one. Groups of these hosts form a domain . The software that translates these names to network addresses is called the Domain Name System ( DNS ) .

Before the advent of DNS, HOSTS files were used for name resolution, but as the Internet quickly grew in size and popularity, HOSTS files became impossible to maintain and keep current. When the Internet community realized there was a need for a more manageable, scalable, and efficient name-resolution system, DNS was created. Since that time, DNS servers have been used on the Internet almost exclusively.

Before the introduction of Windows 2000, Network Basic Input/Output System (NetBIOS) names were used to identify computers, services, and other resources on Windows-based machines. In the early days of Windows networks, LMHOSTS files were used for NetBIOS name resolution. Later, these names were often resolved to IP addresses using a NetBIOS Name Server (NBNS). Microsoft's version of the NBNS was called Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS). With Windows 2000 and now Windows Server 2003, hostnames are used instead of NetBIOS names. In a Windows Server 2003 domain, DNS is used to resolve hostnames and locate resources such as network services.

This chapter introduces the Windows Server 2003 implementation of DNS. You'll learn how to install and configure a DNS server, as well as how to maintain and monitor it. Having a thorough understanding of the topics presented here is important to both the exam and on-the-job success.