Delegating a Zone

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Domain Name System (DNS) provides the option of dividing up the namespace into one or more zones, which can then be stored, distributed, and replicated to other DNS servers. You can delegate management of part of your namespace to another location or department in your organization by delegating the management of the corresponding zone.

When you decide whether to divide your DNS namespace to make additional zones, consider the following reasons for using additional zones:

  • You want to delegate management of part of your DNS namespace to another location or department in your organization.

  • You want to divide one large zone into smaller zones for distributing traffic loads among multiple servers, improving DNS name resolution performance, or creating a more fault-tolerant DNS environment.

  • You want to extend the namespace by adding numerous subdomains at once, for example, to accommodate the opening of a new branch office or site.

If, for any of these reasons, your network can benefit from delegating zones, it may make sense to restructure your namespace by adding additional zones. When you are deciding how to structure your zones, use a plan that reflects the structure of your organization.

When you delegate zones within your namespace, be aware that for each new zone you create, you will need delegation records in other zones that point to the authoritative DNS servers for the new zone. This is necessary both to transfer authority and to provide correct referral to other DNS servers and clients of the new servers that are being made authoritative for the new zone.

To complete this task, perform the following procedures: