The server is a Windows Server 2003 Std w/ SP1 which is a domain controller,
fileserver and printserver.
During the last two days several DNS-errors have occured in ths DNS
Server-log:

Event ID: 4000
Source: DNS
Type: Error
Description: The DNS server was unable to open Active Directory. This DNS
server is configured to obtain and use information from the directory for
this zone and is unable to load the zone without it. Check that the Active
Directory is functioning properly and reload the zone. The event data is the
error code.

Event ID: 4004
Source DNS
Type Error
Description The DNS server was unable to complete directory service
enumeration of zone .. This DNS server is configured to use information
obtained from Active Directory for this zone and is unable to load the zone
without it. Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly and
repeat enumeration of the zone. The event data contains the error.

Event ID: 4015
Source DNS
Type Error
Description The DNS server has encountered a critical error from the Active
Directory. Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly. The event
data contains the error.

The 4000-event occurs most frequently.

What should I do to track this issue down?

First step: Ensure the severs are registering their RR and SRV records to
DNS. Then ensure those records are in DNS and that all references to them
are up-to-date. I'd make a first stop in the _MSDCS folder to see if all
the DCs in your forest are appropriately represented there.

-ds


"jering" <jering@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1FD9864B-6CB7-4F50-A0B0-22AE7FB17F7B@microsoft.com...
> The server is a Windows Server 2003 Std w/ SP1 which is a domain
> controller,
> fileserver and printserver.
> During the last two days several DNS-errors have occured in ths DNS
> Server-log:
>
> Event ID: 4000
> Source: DNS
> Type: Error
> Description: The DNS server was unable to open Active Directory. This DNS
> server is configured to obtain and use information from the directory for
> this zone and is unable to load the zone without it. Check that the Active
> Directory is functioning properly and reload the zone. The event data is
> the
> error code.
>
> Event ID: 4004
> Source DNS
> Type Error
> Description The DNS server was unable to complete directory service
> enumeration of zone .. This DNS server is configured to use information
> obtained from Active Directory for this zone and is unable to load the
> zone
> without it. Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly and
> repeat enumeration of the zone. The event data contains the error.
>
> Event ID: 4015
> Source DNS
> Type Error
> Description The DNS server has encountered a critical error from the
> Active
> Directory. Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly. The
> event
> data contains the error.
>
> The 4000-event occurs most frequently.
>
> What should I do to track this issue down?
>

It`s the only DC in the domain and I can see the RR and SRV records.
Before it was another server acting as a dc too, but it was removed.
I noticed that i were registered in the top of the Forward lookup Zone as:
(same as parent folder), Host (A), 192.168.200.100

But these errors occured about the same time as some errors in the
system-log indicating a memory-leak. We had to reboot the server. So maybe
that could be the reason?

"Dave Shaw [MVP - Directory Services]" wrote:

> First step: Ensure the severs are registering their RR and SRV records to
> DNS. Then ensure those records are in DNS and that all references to them
> are up-to-date. I'd make a first stop in the _MSDCS folder to see if all
> the DCs in your forest are appropriately represented there.
>
> -ds
>
>
> "jering" <jering@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:1FD9864B-6CB7-4F50-A0B0-22AE7FB17F7B@microsoft.com...
> > The server is a Windows Server 2003 Std w/ SP1 which is a domain
> > controller,
> > fileserver and printserver.
> > During the last two days several DNS-errors have occured in ths DNS
> > Server-log:
> >
> > Event ID: 4000
> > Source: DNS
> > Type: Error
> > Description: The DNS server was unable to open Active Directory. This DNS
> > server is configured to obtain and use information from the directory for
> > this zone and is unable to load the zone without it. Check that the Active
> > Directory is functioning properly and reload the zone. The event data is
> > the
> > error code.
> >
> > Event ID: 4004
> > Source DNS
> > Type Error
> > Description The DNS server was unable to complete directory service
> > enumeration of zone .. This DNS server is configured to use information
> > obtained from Active Directory for this zone and is unable to load the
> > zone
> > without it. Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly and
> > repeat enumeration of the zone. The event data contains the error.
> >
> > Event ID: 4015
> > Source DNS
> > Type Error
> > Description The DNS server has encountered a critical error from the
> > Active
> > Directory. Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly. The
> > event
> > data contains the error.
> >
> > The 4000-event occurs most frequently.
> >
> > What should I do to track this issue down?
> >
>
>
>

Im not 100% sure but I think you get this just because the server has itself
as its DNS server, and the DNS service has not started at that point.
I assume the DC is referring to itself for DNS. Check dcdiag to see if you
have any errors in the AD.
Anthony



"jering" <jering@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:366BAFFD-FAB9-48F4-B280-18039C277B6C@microsoft.com...
> It`s the only DC in the domain and I can see the RR and SRV records.
> Before it was another server acting as a dc too, but it was removed.
> I noticed that i were registered in the top of the Forward lookup Zone as:
> (same as parent folder), Host (A), 192.168.200.100
>
> But these errors occured about the same time as some errors in the
> system-log indicating a memory-leak. We had to reboot the server. So maybe
> that could be the reason?
>
> "Dave Shaw [MVP - Directory Services]" wrote:
>
>> First step: Ensure the severs are registering their RR and SRV records
>> to
>> DNS. Then ensure those records are in DNS and that all references to
>> them
>> are up-to-date. I'd make a first stop in the _MSDCS folder to see if all
>> the DCs in your forest are appropriately represented there.
>>
>> -ds
>>
>>
>> "jering" <jering@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:1FD9864B-6CB7-4F50-A0B0-22AE7FB17F7B@microsoft.com...
>> > The server is a Windows Server 2003 Std w/ SP1 which is a domain
>> > controller,
>> > fileserver and printserver.
>> > During the last two days several DNS-errors have occured in ths DNS
>> > Server-log:
>> >
>> > Event ID: 4000
>> > Source: DNS
>> > Type: Error
>> > Description: The DNS server was unable to open Active Directory. This
>> > DNS
>> > server is configured to obtain and use information from the directory
>> > for
>> > this zone and is unable to load the zone without it. Check that the
>> > Active
>> > Directory is functioning properly and reload the zone. The event data
>> > is
>> > the
>> > error code.
>> >
>> > Event ID: 4004
>> > Source DNS
>> > Type Error
>> > Description The DNS server was unable to complete directory service
>> > enumeration of zone .. This DNS server is configured to use information
>> > obtained from Active Directory for this zone and is unable to load the
>> > zone
>> > without it. Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly and
>> > repeat enumeration of the zone. The event data contains the error.
>> >
>> > Event ID: 4015
>> > Source DNS
>> > Type Error
>> > Description The DNS server has encountered a critical error from the
>> > Active
>> > Directory. Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly. The
>> > event
>> > data contains the error.
>> >
>> > The 4000-event occurs most frequently.
>> >
>> > What should I do to track this issue down?
>> >
>>
>>
>>