I have three site and plan to have two more in the near future. I have
currently on domain and a VPN connecting the 2003 network. Each site has a
DC, DNS, GC server. Currently, DNS is AD integrated and the rest of the DNS
configuration in the default. I have however put in forwarders to the local
ISP.

I wanted to inquire about this configuration. Is this all that is necessary
for optimal performance.? Everything is working just fine from a user
standpoint but I know that is not always the case form an IT standpoint.

So when I open DNS from anyone of the sites I see the address, SOA, ect form
each of the other sites. replication appears to be working fine as there are
no error logs to report.

I have just one forward look up zone named after the domain. There is a
reverse DNS zone created for each of the sites. I am reading up on DNS and
most of it makes sense but still some is not. I just want to make sure this
is a acceptable configuration before I continue to create other sites with
aditional DC's.

Thanks in advance for your time and feedback.

"Dave" <Dave@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:AEFE2882-862B-4AA9-BAEA-AF7C1309FE76@microsoft.com...
>I have three site and plan to have two more in the near future. I have
> currently on domain and a VPN connecting the 2003 network. Each site has
> a
> DC, DNS, GC server. Currently, DNS is AD integrated and the rest of the
> DNS
> configuration in the default. I have however put in forwarders to the
> local
> ISP.
>
> I wanted to inquire about this configuration. Is this all that is
> necessary
> for optimal performance.? Everything is working just fine from a user
> standpoint but I know that is not always the case form an IT standpoint.

Internal (domain) computers must be set to use STRICTLY
the INTERNAL DNS Server (set) which can resolve the DCs
and other internal resources, on all interfaces. (It sounds like you
likely are doing this correctly.)

If you want Browsing to work you need WINS Server with multiple
subnets. And every machine a WINS Client, esp. DCs and other
servers. IF you add more than one WINS Servers you must set them
to replicate.

You should also set up your Sites in AD Sites and Services. Have
you done that?


> So when I open DNS from anyone of the sites I see the address, SOA, ect
> form
> each of the other sites. replication appears to be working fine as there
> are
> no error logs to report.

Make sure every DC can pass a complete "DCDiag /c" with
NO FAIL or WARN messages when run locally on that DC.

Do this regularly.

> I have just one forward look up zone named after the domain. There is a
> reverse DNS zone created for each of the sites. I am reading up on DNS
> and
> most of it makes sense but still some is not. I just want to make sure
> this
> is a acceptable configuration before I continue to create other sites with
> aditional DC's.
>
> Thanks in advance for your time and feedback.


--
Herb Martin, MCSE, MVP
http://www.LearnQuick.Com
(phone on web site)

I have the TCP/IP DNS pointing to itself on each DC>

Browsing? Do you mean if I want to browse between the sites? WINS will
have to be configures for this? I currentlyu do not have WINS configured at
any of the sites.

I have the sites configured in AD Sites & Services.

there is only one error when I run dcdiag /c. this is because it is trying
to replicate to a DC in a site where there is not a link directly connecting
te two, other than that all pass.

"Herb Martin" wrote:

>
> "Dave" <Dave@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:AEFE2882-862B-4AA9-BAEA-AF7C1309FE76@microsoft.com...
> >I have three site and plan to have two more in the near future. I have
> > currently on domain and a VPN connecting the 2003 network. Each site has
> > a
> > DC, DNS, GC server. Currently, DNS is AD integrated and the rest of the
> > DNS
> > configuration in the default. I have however put in forwarders to the
> > local
> > ISP.
> >
> > I wanted to inquire about this configuration. Is this all that is
> > necessary
> > for optimal performance.? Everything is working just fine from a user
> > standpoint but I know that is not always the case form an IT standpoint.
>
> Internal (domain) computers must be set to use STRICTLY
> the INTERNAL DNS Server (set) which can resolve the DCs
> and other internal resources, on all interfaces. (It sounds like you
> likely are doing this correctly.)
>
> If you want Browsing to work you need WINS Server with multiple
> subnets. And every machine a WINS Client, esp. DCs and other
> servers. IF you add more than one WINS Servers you must set them
> to replicate.
>
> You should also set up your Sites in AD Sites and Services. Have
> you done that?
>
>
> > So when I open DNS from anyone of the sites I see the address, SOA, ect
> > form
> > each of the other sites. replication appears to be working fine as there
> > are
> > no error logs to report.
>
> Make sure every DC can pass a complete "DCDiag /c" with
> NO FAIL or WARN messages when run locally on that DC.
>
> Do this regularly.
>
> > I have just one forward look up zone named after the domain. There is a
> > reverse DNS zone created for each of the sites. I am reading up on DNS
> > and
> > most of it makes sense but still some is not. I just want to make sure
> > this
> > is a acceptable configuration before I continue to create other sites with
> > aditional DC's.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your time and feedback.
>
>
> --
> Herb Martin, MCSE, MVP
> http://www.LearnQuick.Com
> (phone on web site)
>
>
>

"Dave" <Dave@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0712E850-07B0-41DE-8CB8-FF0BB869C2E8@microsoft.com...
>I have the TCP/IP DNS pointing to itself on each DC>

Generally correct for DCs in other sites, but you can also have each machine
use both a local DNS and a DNS across the WAN for better fault tolerance.

Seldom will the WAN be used.

> Browsing? Do you mean if I want to browse between the sites? WINS will
> have to be configures for this? I currentlyu do not have WINS configured
> at
> any of the sites.

Yes. Browsing is dependent on NetBIOS and NetBIOS needs wins when
there are routers involved.

> I have the sites configured in AD Sites & Services.

Excellent.

> there is only one error when I run dcdiag /c. this is because it is
> trying
> to replicate to a DC in a site where there is not a link directly
> connecting
> te two, other than that all pass.

Then either you have misdefined your Sites,Subnets, DC in Sites, SiteLinks
or left the Sites in the original Default-IP-SiteLink.

No SiteLink should exist across the "unconnected" path.

--
Herb Martin, MCSE, MVP
http://www.LearnQuick.Com
(phone on web site)

ok, so the DNS is configured properly?

I will have to verify the Sites and services. I will post results

"Herb Martin" wrote:

>
> "Dave" <Dave@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:0712E850-07B0-41DE-8CB8-FF0BB869C2E8@microsoft.com...
> >I have the TCP/IP DNS pointing to itself on each DC>
>
> Generally correct for DCs in other sites, but you can also have each machine
> use both a local DNS and a DNS across the WAN for better fault tolerance.
>
> Seldom will the WAN be used.
>
> > Browsing? Do you mean if I want to browse between the sites? WINS will
> > have to be configures for this? I currentlyu do not have WINS configured
> > at
> > any of the sites.
>
> Yes. Browsing is dependent on NetBIOS and NetBIOS needs wins when
> there are routers involved.
>
> > I have the sites configured in AD Sites & Services.
>
> Excellent.
>
> > there is only one error when I run dcdiag /c. this is because it is
> > trying
> > to replicate to a DC in a site where there is not a link directly
> > connecting
> > te two, other than that all pass.
>
> Then either you have misdefined your Sites,Subnets, DC in Sites, SiteLinks
> or left the Sites in the original Default-IP-SiteLink.
>
> No SiteLink should exist across the "unconnected" path.
>
> --
> Herb Martin, MCSE, MVP
> http://www.LearnQuick.Com
> (phone on web site)
>
>
>