Installing and configuring a DNS server in Windows Server 2008

Installing a DNS server in Windows Server 2008

Start by launching the Server Manager console (type servermanager.msc in the search box and press Enter or click Start -> Administrative tools -> Server Manager). Select Roles from the left pane and click Add roles:

1install Dns Server In Windows 2008
Under Server roles, select DNS server

2add Roles Wizard

Click Next, then Next again and click the Install button to confirm
3dns Server Installtion Wizard

When you see the “Installation succeeded” message, click the Close button to exit the Wizard
4dns Server Installtion Succeeded

DNS configuration

Click Start -> Administrative tools -> DNS in order to open the DNS console
5dns Console Windows 2008

– The Forward lookup zone is the DNS zone, where the hostname to IP address relations are stored; forward lookup resolves hostnames to IP addresses
– Reverse lookup resolves IP addresses to hostnames; the Reverse lookup zone is not required

Right click on the computer name and select Configure a DNS server
7configure A Dns Server

Click Next, then click Create a forward lookup zone (selected by default), click Next again.
8create Forward Lookup Zone

Click This server maintains the zone (selected by default), click Next.
9configure Dns Server Wizard

Enter your domain name and click Next
10new Zone Wizard

Click Next again
11new Zone File

Select No, it should not forward queries and click Next
12dns Forward Queries

Complete the Wizard by clicking Finish

If you want to add a Reverse lookup zone at some later stage, start by launching the DNS manager, right click on Reverse Lookup Zones and click New Zone
13dns Add Reverse Lookup Zone

Click Next, click Primary zone
14reverse Lookup Zone

Click Next, select IPv4 or IPv6, click Next and enter the first three octets of the computer IP address
15reverse Lookup Zone Address
16reverse Lookup Zone Name

Finish the Wizard by keeping the default options in the remaining steps.

Managing the DNS records
Visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_DNS_record_types for the full list of DNS records along with their description and functions. In this tutorial, I will cover adding some of the most commonly used DNS records to the DNS zones.
Name Servers – to add Name Servers, launch the DNS console, expand the Forward Lookup Zones, select the domain, right click on it and click Properties
17add Nameservers

Click the Name Servers tab, click Add, type in the absolute domain name (the FQDN) and the IP address and click OK.
18how To Add Nameservers
19add Nameservers

Start of authority records – if you want to make any changes to the SOA records, launch the DNS console, expand the Forward Lookup Zones, right click on your domain name, click Properties, open the SOA tab and make the changes
20start Of Authority Record

Host A records – launch the DNS console, expand the Forward Lookup Zones, right click on your domain name, and click Select New Host. Type name for the Host, type in the IP address and click Add Host.
21new Host Record.jpg
22add New Host Record

CNAME (Alias / Canonical Records) – to add CNAME record, launch the DNS console, expand the Forward Lookup Zones, right click on your domain name, and click Select New Alias (CNAME)
23add New Alias Record
24how To Add New Alias Record

MX (Mail Exchange) record – launch the DNS console, expand the Forward Lookup Zones, right click on your domain name, and click New Mail Exchanger. Enter host or child domain, FQDN of the mail server, and the mail server priority and click OK.

26add Mail Exchanger Record

Adding more records – for more options, launch the DNS console, expand the Forward Lookup Zones, right click on your domain name, and click Other New Records. Now, you can click any of the listed records, read their description, and if you want to add a record, click the Create Record button and enter the necessary values.
27other New Records
28add Other New Records