Because it's so closely tied to the Active Directory and Windows 2000, installing and managing the DNS server for Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 when using the Active Directory is covered in greater detail in the next chapter. Windows clients in the network use DNS to locate domain controllers, which hold the Active Directory database. When you decide to promote a Windows server to become a domain controller, you'll be prompted to install a DNS server as well, unless another DNS server already exists on the network. After the domain controller has been properly configured, it will register records in DNS that enable clients to find the domain controllers in the domain. However, you can always install a DNS server on Windows Server whether or not you decide to use the Active Directory. For example, you might have a few Windows servers in a Unix network and decide to use Microsoft's version of DNS because you find the graphical interface easy to use (tired of editing those text files and making a mistake?). Or you might want to install additional DNS servers to provide a backup for a primary DNS server. You don't have to install the DNS service on just a domain controller, but the system must run Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003. Installing the service is just as simple as installing the WINS service:
Chapter 30, "Using the Active Directory," looks more closely at how managing DNS on a Windows 2000/2003 server is done using the MMC console, as well as how DNS can be installed at the same time, and integrated into the Active Directory. |