The purpose of the tutorials in this section is to help you get you started with DNS's terms and concepts. Mastering DNS is not easy. The secret of having a fast and secure Active Directory
network, is planning then configuring your DNS Server. When it comes to troubleshooting connectivity, DNS is one of THE most difficult tasks in Windows 2003, so take the time to learn the
principles behind Microsoft's dynamic DNS.
The purpose of this page is to act as a mini site map and provide pointers to DNS topics of interest.
There are three scenarios in which your network needs DNS. Firstly, to find Active Directory resources such as Global Catalog Servers and also Domain Controllers that
authenticate Logon or Kerberos requests. Secondly to locate pages on the internet, and thirdly, mundane task for example, connecting to a printer share.
DNS makes it possible for clients to access network resources using alphanumeric names rather than pure IP addresses. Unlike WINS, DNS is hierarchical, with advent of
Windows 2000 DNS became dynamic DNS. In practical terms, it means that
clients can update their own DNS Server records automatically, thus reducing the
administrative load. The killer reason for implementing DNS is that Active Directory relies on DNS for finding Global Catalog, Kerberos and Logon Servers.
Before you install DNS on a production
network you need to answer a whole series of questions. For example Will your DNS name match our email domain? Who will be in charge of DNS, you or must you rely on a Unix department?
One 'Litmus Test' for a difficult topic is the number of specialist terms a
component uses. My rule is the more unusual words and acronyms, the more difficult the subject is to master. DNS passes this ' difficulty ' test with flying colours. For instance you need to
understand, Namespace, Authoritative, Recursive, and Incremental to name just a few of the DNS keywords. As you learn about DNS Server watch out for ways to increase your computing vocabulary.
DNS is a huge topic, as an MCT trainer, I can thoroughly recommend TrainSignal
because they provide practical hands on training. In particular, I like the way TrainSignal cover all learning methods, instructor lead, video and of course text material. You can either take one module, for example DNS or go for
a combination of modules.
Learn more about DNS 2003 here
DNS is the most difficult topic in the whole of Active Directory in general and TCP/IP in particular. However, to be a 'top techie' forget those exams, if you can
troubleshoot DNS then you can not only talk the talk but you can walk the walk
and rule that server room. Make a start by listing the DNS terms and understanding how they fit together. My tutorials will give you step-by-step guidance on how to get the most out of Microsoft's
Dynamic DNS.
Guy
recommends: The SolarWinds ipMonitor
I am attracted to
ipMonitor
because it inhabits that zone of part work, part play; Guy just could not put
the dashboard away. This excellent performance monitor will get you
started in the quest to remove bottlenecks on your network. SolarWinds
provides this fully-functioning product free for 21 days. So download and
install ipMonitor, then start scrutinizing your computers CPU, memory and disk
performance.
Installing ipMonitor is a breeze, but learn from gung-ho Guy's mistake, and
install SNMP on each computer that you wish to monitor. What sealed my
unreserved recommendation of SolarWinds is their support team, you will get
expert help even when you are evaluating the ipMonitor.
