Verifying server configuration

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

Verifying server configuration

When using the DNS console, you can perform either manual or automated verification testing of your DNS servers to monitor their ability to process and resolve queries. This feature is accessed through the Monitoring tab in DNS server properties.

When using this feature, two types of test are available:

  • A simple query against this DNS server.

    This type of test specifies that the DNS server perform a simple or iterative query. This test is a localized query using the DNS resolver (client) on the server computer to query the local DNS server (also located on the same computer).

    For more information, see How DNS query works.

  • A recursive query to other DNS servers.

    This type of test specifies that the DNS server perform a recursive query. This test is similar in its initial query processing to the previous test in that it uses the local DNS resolver (client) to query the local DNS server, also located on the same computer.

    In this test, however, the client asks the server to use recursion to resolve an NS-type query for the root of the DNS domain namespace, stated as a single dot ("."). This type of query should typically require additional recursive processing and can be helpful in verifying that server root hints or zone delegations have been properly set.

    For more information, see How DNS query works.

Once you have selected the tests to be used, you can either click the Test Now button to manually perform the tests immediately, or you can perform automatic testing at a specified time interval.

Automated tests are performed when the Perform automatic testing at the following interval check box is selected and a test interval is specified in Test interval.

Results of all selected tests, whether manually or automatically performed, are displayed in the Test results list box. Typically, this information includes:

  • The date and time when each query was made.

  • Additional status results of the specific test used, such as whether the simple or recursive query failed or succeeded.