How do I find out what a Windows 2003 server is using as it’s external DNS if they don’t have anything listed under Forwarders? When I go into the DNS properties of the Windows server and look under Forwarders all that is listed is All other DNS domains with no IP addresses of the external DNS servers. I know that the server has to be pointing at an external NS but damned if I know where to look for it in Windows 2003.
Any thoughts? (BTW, I realize you can go into NSLOOKUP and find this out, but I’d like to know where Windows is keeping this info)
If it is a typically configured DNS server (which I assume is local), it either has a forwarder to it’s ISP. If not, it will typically ask the root servers, which often is as good.
Correct. Your DNS server seem to rely on the Internet’s root servers. Nothing (typically) wrong with that; it’s round robin by default, and everything’s being cached as times goes by anyways and so forth.
Ah…so, it’s configured incorrectly, at least wrt optimal performance, yes? In the past I’ve seen Windows 2003 servers configured either with direct forwarders or using conditional forwarders. I’ve been trying to figure out why it’s so slow to resolve and just assumed that there was some hidden way to put in forwarders in the server that I didn’t know about.
If my assumptions are correct above thanks for the helpage! It makes a lot more sense now. One of these days I need to break down and actually take a close looks at Windows server since 2000 as I’m increasingly getting pinged to work on these things.
Happy to be of any help. I’ve been working with DNS and Active Directory/Windows Server since 2000 as a systems administrator and part time trainer; my one-two hour DNS introduction is usually a real eye opener to IT professionals; I recommend getting a grip of it, because a lot of things falls into place once you get DNS.
Good night. (In my part of the world it is night, and I’ve been patching servers all evening. That’s a lot of fun, isn’t it?
Well, I know how DNS works fairly well…just not how Windows impliments it. Mostly I’m an infrastructure and security engineer. I haven’t really done that much on the systems side since the old Novel Netware days…and haven’t played much with Windows since 2000 Server.
Appreciate the helpage…have a good evening! Myself, it’s nearly time to board my flight for home (until Saturday night when I’m on the road again)!