Primary vs Secondary DNS Server

Chris Peikert

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Oct 19, 2006, 3:23:45 PM10/19/06

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I have a network with 2 subnets. Each subnet has its own Windows 2003 server
using DHCP to issue its addresses. Should both servers on each subnet be a
Primary DNS server or can only one be a Primary and the other Secondary?

RC

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Oct 19, 2006, 3:59:59 PM10/19/06

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each subnet can have its own primary dns server.

you can also have them setup as AD integrated zones.

Rich

Chris Peikert

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Oct 19, 2006, 5:36:36 PM10/19/06

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Thanks.

"RC" <RichC...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1161287999.6...@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

Herb Martin

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Oct 20, 2006, 11:39:32 AM10/20/06

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"Chris Peikert" <c.pe...@co.matagorda.tx.us> wrote in message
news:5hQZg.14318$GR....@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net...

Only one can be a Primary for a SINGLE ZONE (domain name),
unless you mean an Active Directory Integrated "set of" Primaries.

AD Integrated DNS is sometimes referred to as a type of Primary
but I generally think it is best to distinguish them as a "set" which
replaces the single (traditional) Primary.

You can only have one traditional Primary for a single zone (if
you wish it the DNS to fully replicate.) With traditional Primaries,
all additional DNS servers must be Secondary (or perhaps stub)
if they hold that same zone.

You can have as many AD-Integrated DNS servers as you wish
since they are multi-mastered.

Notice that if you have multiple zones (DNS names) then each
will have a set of 'One Primary' OR 'AD_Integrated', each with
optional Secondaries.

--
Herb Martin, MCSE, MVP
Accelerated MCSE
http://www.LearnQuick.Com
[phone number on web site]

>

Herb Martin

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Oct 20, 2006, 11:40:40 AM10/20/06

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"RC" <RichC...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1161287999.6...@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

> each subnet can have its own primary dns server.
>
> you can also have them setup as AD integrated zones.

You cannot have more than one Primary for the same zone
(unless you actually wish to break replication as in Shadow
DNS setups.)

You can have multiple AD Integrated DNS for a single
zone since hey are multi-mastered.

--
Herb Martin, MCSE, MVP
Accelerated MCSE
http://www.LearnQuick.Com
[phone number on web site]

>
> Rich
>

RC

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Oct 23, 2006, 8:47:33 AM10/23/06

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I should have made my statement less confusing. I meant to say AD
integrated. I never think of anything less in an AD enviornment. I
should has said that.

thanks for correcting me Herb.

Rich

Herb Martin

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Oct 23, 2006, 11:09:54 AM10/23/06

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"RC" <RichC...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:1161607652.9...@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

Well, Microsoft has confused the terminology.

Originally, they always discussed The Primary DNS and
AD-Integrated DNS as two separate ideas with different
names.

In Windows 2003, they (sometimes) call AD-Integrated
DNS servers a form of primary.

Clearly the single (traditional) Primary and the newer AD
Integrated "set" of DNS servers play the same role and
are (generally) mutually exclusive, i.e., you use one type or
the other for a single zone if you want it to replicate.

Part of the point of the AD Integrated DNS server 'set' is to
allow for multiple masters, but these can also have traditional
secondaries since secondaries just pull (do zone transfers)
from another DNS server of the same zone.