Introduction

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 are 12 digits long, however, and difficult for people to remember. To solve this dilemma, a system was developed to translate "friendly" names into the network addresses the computers use to locate each other and to communicate. These names are called hostnames , and each machine is assigned one. Groups of hosts form a domain. The software that translates these names to network addresses is called the Domain Name System (DNS).

Domain name servers have been in use on the Internet for many years . Prior to DNS, HOSTS files were used for name resolution, but as the Internet quickly grew in size and popularity, maintaining HOSTS files became impossible . When the Internet community realized there was a need for a more manageable, scalable, and efficient name resolution system, DNS was created.

Prior to 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 Internet Protocol (IP) addresses using a NetBIOS Name Server (NBNS). Microsoft's version of the NBNS was called a Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) server. With Windows 2000 and the introduction of Active Directory, hostnames are now used instead of NetBIOS names. In a Windows 2000 domain, DNS is required to resolve hostnames and locate resources, such as network services.

This chapter introduces the Windows 2000 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 exam and on-the-job success.



Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure Exam Cram 2 (Exam 70-216)
MCSE Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure Exam Cram 2 (Exam Cram 70-216)
ISBN: 078972863X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 167

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