I just executed the following:
Created a group named site_DNSadmin.
Created a GP object.
Allow site_DNSadmin group to FULL control Computer Configuration\Windows
Settings\Security Settings\System Services\DNS Server via the GP.
Apply the GP to the domain controllers in question.
Force replication.
Force GP update.
Verified with RSOP that the GP is in fact applied to the domain controllers.
Logged on to a workstation in the domain with an admin account which is a
member of the site_DNSadmin group.
Executed dnsmgmt.msc and added one of the dns servers.
The console of course results with an Access Denied.
Did I miss a step in this process? Would I need to grant these admins the
right to logon to the domain controller directly and then have them run
dnsmgmt.msc from the server itself?
Also, to answer your question about zones... some of the dns servers hosts
services for different development groups. They have needs to add local
zones to their servers that dont apply to other sites.
"Herb Martin" <news@learnquick.com> wrote in message
news:OIVq5chrHHA.3356@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>
> "doh" <doh@simpson.org> wrote in message news:f4ppt3$74c$1@aioe.org...
>> I'm not sure if I got my point across with what my ultimate goal is. As I
>> do know there is a GPO key to allow specific users to start/stop a
>> service, this is only half of the job. Does the same GP setting allow
>> these users to fully manage DNS? Meaning add/delete/modify zones?
>
> Yes, full control of the SERVICE will allow you read and write its data,
> or you can give limited permisions such as "read" to the Desk to
> allow those folks to VIEW but not change settings.
>
>> Aside from the fact that the main ADI replicated zone for the domain will
>> be under their control, I'm more concerned about these admins to have the
>> ability to add zones for their specific site.
>
> How often do zones get added? This is usually a (nearly) static thing --
> set
> once, early in the deployment of DNS servers and then seldom if every
> modified
> (the actual zones.)
>
>> Hope this is a bit more clear now.
>>
>>
>> "Herb Martin" <news@learnquick.com> wrote in message
>> news:umCsOJfrHHA.3228@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>>
>>> "doh" <doh@simpson.org> wrote in message news:f4pan0$db2$1@aioe.org...
>>>> The method I initially described was in fact setting the permissions
>>>> via the security tab in dnsmgmt.msc. You are correct about the
>>>> additional permissions that grant unnecessary rights. I wasn't aware of
>>>> the GPO method where one can delegate rights to a specific dns server.
>>>
>>> The usual way is to do this through a GPO -- to make someone a service
>>> admin for all servers of that type -- but you can still use a GPO for
>>> one
>>> or a few servers if you find a way to distinguish them by filter
>>> (permissions
>>> or WMI) or by Site as in your specific case.
>>>
>>>> You are also correct in that the "site admins" are not domain admins
>>>> otherwise they would have full control anyway.
>>>
>>> I presumed that, but people ask all sorts of strange things based on
>>> waht
>>> they have tried without thinking it through, so it was important for you
>>> to
>>> confirm.
>>>
>>>> What is the setting(s) via GP that you're referring to that could grant
>>>> these admins full access to their local dns servers (which are also
>>>> domain controllers), but not access any other dns servers within the
>>>> domain?
>>>
>>> Computer->Windows Settings->Security->Services
>>>
>>>> I am aware of filtering out GPs based on groups, which would be my
>>>> preferred method rather than adding child OUs.
>>>
>>> Good, as I am really nervous about even child OUs for DCs. Although
>>> in your case I might well suggest Sites for this, then you would not
>>> need
>>> to modify it if you add another DC in either location -- it would just
>>> work.
>>>
>>> You could even move a DC from one site and the control would switch
>>> with the location.
>>>
>>>> At any rate, if this causes more trouble than its worth, then I might
>>>> just opt to drop all the admins into the DNS Administrators group and
>>>> state that they should not manage any other servers.
>>>
>>> Curious: What is different about the two sets of services? Do they
>>> have
>>> different zones, or what else is different? We must presume you have at
>>> least some of the zones replicated for the Domain since they are all
>>> DCs.
>>>
>>>> Auditing would have to be put in place here just in case an admin from
>>>> an alternate site does make a modification on a dns server not within
>>>> their administrative boundary.
>>>
>>> You can also use the GPO (Advanced) settings for the service to add
>>> not just permission but also Auditing, and also make certain services
>>> required or forbidden (this last is not what you were asking of course.)
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Herb Martin, MCSE, MVP
>>> http://www.LearnQuick.Com
>>> (phone on web site)
>>>
>>>> "Herb Martin" <news@learnquick.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:OVB9%238WrHHA.532@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>>>>>
>>>>> "doh" <doh@simpson.org> wrote in message news:f4nglt$hnl$1@aioe.org...
>>>>>>4 total DNS servers runnin on domain controllers
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 2 domain controllers are in site A
>>>>>> 2 domain controllers are in site B
>>>>>> I want admins from site A to be able to manage only the DNS servers
>>>>>> at site A.
>>>>>> I want admins from site B to be able to manage only the DNS servers
>>>>>> at site B.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> I create a group named siteA_dns and add this group to the two
>>>>>> servers security tab in site A to read/write access.
>>>>>
>>>>> Are you doing this in the DNS MMC properties on the Security tab?
>>>>>
>>>>> Does this work?
>>>>>
>>>>> I will look forward to other answers but I don't think this is the way
>>>>> to do
>>>>> this, and have always done it with a GPO to delegate control of the
>>>>> service.
>>>>> (There is a problem with this method in your case however which may be
>>>>> as bad as what you are seeing even though it is different.)
>>>>>
>>>>> I am not even sure that permissions you are actually delegating
>>>>> there --
>>>>> if you look at the Standard Permissions permissions you see there is
>>>>> nothing in there for stopping and starting the service. If you
>>>>> further look
>>>>> in the Special Permission for any ACE you will also see this is
>>>>> missing
>>>>> but worse there seems to be all sorts of additional permissions that
>>>>> seem
>>>>> to be concerned with all sorts of unrelated (and in your case
>>>>> undesirable)
>>>>> areas.
>>>>>
>>>>>> Replication takes effect and I check the two dns server in site B.
>>>>>> They both now have the same security read/write access for the
>>>>>> siteA_dns group.
>>>>>
>>>>>> Anyone know of a way to work around this to be able to prevent admins
>>>>>> from one site making mods at another site (besides blocking rpc via
>>>>>> registry)?
>>>>>
>>>>> The problem with doing it through a GPO is that you would normally
>>>>> want to
>>>>> do this by putting the servers in different OUs -- you must however
>>>>> NOT
>>>>> move your DCs outside of the Domain Controller OU.
>>>>>
>>>>> Some claim you can put them in child OUs but my experience was NOT
>>>>> good when I tried that and I have never tested it again.
>>>>>
>>>>> You could however (with no problem I can conceive) link to the
>>>>> existing
>>>>> DC OU but use permissions (on the DC computer accounts) to filter
>>>>> the GPO to only apply to one set of DC and then the other set of DCs
>>>>> for the other users.
>>>>>
>>>>> Or you could link the GPOs to the respective SITES instead of using
>>>>> permission filtering.
>>>>>
>>>>> Since these are all one DCs do you really have trouble with admins
>>>>> messing
>>>>> where they shouldn't?
>>>>>
>>>>> Can't you just (reliably) make business/security rules where one set
>>>>> of Admins
>>>>> doesn't mess with the other set of DNS servers?
>>>>>
>>>>> Presumably these are NOT "domain admins" either -- but just something
>>>>> you
>>>>> are calling Site admins?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Herb Martin, MCSE, MVP
>>>>> http://www.LearnQuick.Com
>>>>> (phone on web site)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>