Share via

New features for DNS

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

New features for DNS

The following new Domain Name System (DNS) features and feature enhancements are available with the Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 family.

  • Improved domain controller name resolution

    In response to DNS name resolution failures that may be encountered during location of replication partners and global catalog servers, domain controllers running Windows Server 2003 with SP1 request other variations of the server name that might be registered, which results in fewer failures due to DNS delays and misconfiguration. For more information about DNS name resolution, see How DNS Support for Active Directory Works on the Microsoft Web site.

  • Conditional forwarders

    Forward DNS queries according to the DNS domain name in the query using conditional forwarders. For example, a DNS server can be configured to forward all the queries it receives for names ending with widgets.example.com to the IP address of a specific DNS server or to the IP addresses of multiple DNS servers.

    For more information, see Using forwarders.

  • Stub zones

    Using stub zones, keep a DNS server hosting a parent zone aware of the authoritative DNS servers for its child zone and, thereby, maintain DNS name resolution efficiency.

    For more information, see Understanding stub zones.

  • DNS zone replication in Active Directory

    Choose from four default replication options for Active Directory-integrated DNS zone data.

    For more information, see DNS zone replication in Active Directory.

  • Enhanced DNS security features

    DNS provides greater precision in its security administration for the DNS Server service, the DNS Client service, and DNS data.

    For more information, see Security information for DNS.

  • Round robin all resource record (RR) types

    By default, the DNS Server service will perform round-robin rotation for all resource record (RR) types.

    For more information, see Configuring round robin.

  • Enhanced debug logging

    Use the enhanced DNS Server service debug logging settings to troubleshoot DNS problems.

    For more information, see Using server debug logging options.

  • DNSSEC

    DNS provides basic support of DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) protocol as defined in RFC 2535.

    For more information, see Using DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC).

  • EDNS0

    Enable DNS requestors to advertise the size of their UDP packets and facilitate the transfer of packets larger than 512 octets, the original DNS restriction for UDP packet size (RFC 1035).

    For more information, see Using Extension Mechanisms for DNS (EDNS0).

  • Control automatic NS resource record registration on a server and a zone basis

    For more information, see Restrict NS resource record registration and Allow NS record creation for specific domain controllers.