In this tutorial, we will learn how to add a secondary DNS server in Windows Server 2012. Adding a secondary DNS server is essential for redundancy and fault tolerance, ensuring that your network remains operational even if the primary DNS server goes down.
Step 1: Log in to your Windows Server
First, log in to your Windows Server 2012 machine using an account with administrative privileges.
Step 2: Open the DNS Manager
Once you are logged in, open the DNS Manager. You can do this by clicking on the Start button and searching for “DNS Manager” in the search bar. Click on the DNS Manager result that appears.
Step 3: Add a Secondary Zone
In the DNS Manager, right-click on your primary DNS server name and select New Zone. This will open the New Zone Wizard.
In the New Zone Wizard, select Secondary zone, and click Next.
Step 4: Specify the Zone Replication Scope
In this step, you need to specify how you want to replicate the zone information from the primary DNS server. You have two options:
- To all domain controllers (default option): Select this option if you want to replicate the zone data to all domain controllers in your Active Directory domain. This provides better fault tolerance but increases replication traffic.
- To specific domain controllers: Select this option if you want to replicate the zone data to specific domain controllers in your Active Directory domain. This allows you to control replication traffic but may reduce fault tolerance.
Choose the appropriate option for your network, and click Next.
Step 5: Specify the Zone Name and Master DNS Server IP Address
In this step, you need to provide the name for the secondary zone and specify the IP address of the primary DNS server.
Enter a Zone name that matches the primary DNS zone name. For example, if your primary DNS zone is “example.com,” enter “example.com” as the zone name for the secondary DNS server.
Enter the IP address of your primary DNS server. This is typically the IP address of your primary domain controller (PDC).
Click Next to continue.
Step 6: Specify a File Name for Zone Storage
In this step, you can specify a file name for storing the zone data on your secondary DNS server. By default, Windows Server will create a file with a .dns extension in the default storage location.
If you want to change the storage location or file name, click Browse, select or create a new folder, enter a file name, and click OK.
Click Next to proceed.
Step 7: Complete the Wizard
In the final step, review your settings and click Finish to add the secondary DNS zone.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully added a secondary DNS server in Windows Server 2012. This secondary DNS server will now replicate zone data from the primary DNS server and provide redundancy for your network.
By following these steps, you can ensure that your network remains operational even if the primary DNS server goes down. Adding a secondary DNS server is an important step in achieving fault tolerance and ensuring uninterrupted network services.