Assigning the forest root domain name details explanation needed

Question

Hello,

I am able to see the text " The forest root domain name is also the name of the forest. The forest root name is a DNS name that consists of a prefix and a suffix in the form of prefix.suffix. For example, an organization might have the forest root name corp.contoso.com. In this example, corp is the prefix and contoso.com is the suffix."

in the link :

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2003/cc738121(v=ws.10)?redirectedfrom=MSDN

Can someone please explain how corp is prefix and contoso.com is the suffix ?

Because in one of our client environment it is as follows:

xyz.net is the forest root name

abc.xyz.net is the domain name and xyz.net is the root domain in the forest xyz.net

Regards,

Swaminathan

Answer 1

I think some of the confusion is based on previously used naming standards or conventions for services that use the DNS name space as part of their service name. Previously is was common for services to use prefix under a company's DNS name space. As a poor example, websites www.contoso.com, the www is the prefix and contoso.com is the suffix, this was the same for AD. The suggestion in the name standard documents, that you have referenced, was to give AD a prefix i.e. corp, so the forest root would be dc=corp,dc=contoso,dc=com. Most AD forest don't use the prefix and just use the company's DNS name space. Using this naming convention the term prefix has no meaning anymore, the DN of the forest is the same as the suffix, which is the same as the DNS name space.

With all these documents, they are suggestions, you can name your AD whatever you want, as long as it conforms to DNS and RFC4514 naming standards.

I hope that helps,

Gary.

Answer 2

Not the same because in the MS text forest root name is mentioned as corp.contoso.com but in the example I gave is having forest root name as xyz.net

Please explain

Answer 3

Still I am not convinced with the MS statement .

Usually I see 2 dc components in forest root domain name , for example, xyz.net or xyz.com wherein dc=xyz, dc=net & dc=xyz, dc=com respectively , that means only 2 names separated by dot.

But in MS statement it is mentioned as corp.contoso.com where I can see 3 dc components.

Either it can be corp-contoso.com in which dc=corp-contoso, dc=com

But this prefix.suffix is confusing me , all I am asking here is for my understanding only , I am not facing any issues in realtime scenarios where all the forests are with 2 dc components

Any suggestions please......