Installing DNS on a Windows Server

Posted by arlene

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. 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.

Living the Web 2.0Installing the service is just as simple as installing the WINS service:

  1. Click Start, Programs, Control Panel (Start/Control Panel for 2003).
  2. From the Control Panel, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
  3. When the Add Remove Programs window pops up, click Add/Remove Windows Components (on the left part of the window). The Add Remove Programs window now displays a Components button in the upper-right side of the window. Click the Components button, and the Windows Components Wizard dialog box pops up.
  4. Scroll down until you find Networking Services and highlight it by clicking it once. Then click the Details button.
  5. When the Networking Services dialog box appears, scroll down until you find Domain Name System (DNS). Click the check box next to the component and click OK.
  6. When prompted, insert the Windows Server source CD into your CD-ROM drive and then wait a minute or so while files are copied to your hard drive. When the Windows Components Wizard window reappears, click Next.
  7. Another window appears, titled Completing the Windows Components Wizard. Click Finish.
  8. When the Add Remove Programs window reappears, click OK or Close.

Network Information Service

Sun developed Network Information Service (NIS) as a client/server system that allows for the sharing of information on a network, including not only host- names and addresses, but also other information, such as password files. The goal of NIS is to reduce administrative overhead problems associated with having multiple copies of files on hosts throughout the network.

NIS is based on a flat namespace design, whereas NIS+ more closely resembles the Domain Name System in its hierarchical structure. NIS+ uses a concept of NIS domains, which might or might not be paired with DNS domains. It also uses a concept called maps for storing data using a simple keyword/data concept. NIS+ uses a more traditional database format with tables containing multi- columned rows of data.

NIS is mentioned not because it is a name resolution mechanism, but because on many Unix networks, NIS is responsible for keeping synchronized other files that perform name resolution. If you use NIS (or NIS+), I recommend you become familiar with its installation and configuration. Security on Unix systems can be a difficult task if you just install NIS and forget about it. You need to understand how it works, and you should consider the security implications of keeping important information on different servers throughout the network.

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