How to Configure a Secondary DNS server(Name Server) in Windows Server 2008

    It is really necessary to have an additional DNS in order to keep the redundancy. If you have configured additional domain controller you may or may not be installed DNS as the part of additional domain creation. If you have not done you need to configure it manually and the below method can help you on this.

    1. Let us consider the scenario that I have a Forward lookup zone named as serverlabs.com in my primary DNS server and I want to create the secondary zone for that.
    1. Make sure that you have installed DNS server role on the server which you want to promote as secondary DNS server.
                             From server manager, select Add role and  on roles select DNS server-> Click Next to continue.


    1. Click Next on Introduction to DNS server and install on confirmation window.




                              Click close on installation succeed window.

    1. Now open DNS server console by Start->Administrative tools->DNS

                             In order to configure secondary DNS server from the DNS console right click on Forward lookup zone                                and select New zone.


    1. Click Next on New zone wizard dialogue box.


    1. On the zone type wizard select the option as Secondary zone since it will help you to configure the zone that is already existing or if you have a backup. Since we have primary DNS we can replicate the details from the server and create secondary server,  Click Next.


    1. Now you need to specify the zone name, specify the zone name that you want to create the secondary zone and click Next.
                             Note: Make sure that the zone name you are specifying here is already existing in your primary DNS                                server, else you will fail to replicate the details on next step.
      

    1. Now on the window master DNS server you need to specify your primary DNS server details. On the section <Click here to add an IP Address or DNS Name> specify your primary DNS server's <IP address > or <hostname> and press ENTER. If the details are correct it will detect automatically the zone details and you can have the labels with green color, click Next.


    1. You can see the summary window and click on Finish to complete it.


    1. Now on secondary server's DNS you can see the created zone details.

    Known issue
    You may complete the steps from 1 to 9 without any issue, but when you locate the newly created zone you may receive the error as listed below.


    Also in the DNS application logs you will have the error reported as


    This is because the zone transfer is not enabled on your primary DNS server. In order to resolve this on your primary DNS server select the zone that you want to create the secondary zone. Right click and select properties(In my case the zone is serverlabs.com).
    Under the tab Zone transfers tick the check box Allow zone transfers and check box To any server. Click Apply and then OK.


    Now on the server where we have failed to replicate details, open DNS console and you will be able to see the DNS details replicated as expected.



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1 comment:

  1. unknown22 June 2021 at 02:36

    This is because the zone transfer is not enabled on your primary DNS server. In order to resolve this on your primary DNS server select the zone that you want to create the secondary zone. Right click and select properties(In my case the zone is serverlabs.com).
    Under the tab Zone transfers tick the check box Allow zone transfers and check box To any server. Click Apply and then OK.
    what is my server name

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