Microsoft KB Archive/135919

= DNS Server Search Order Functionality in Windows =

PSS ID Number: 135919

Article Last Modified on 5/28/2003

-

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0

-



This article was previously published under Q135919





SYMPTOMS
Windows enables you to specify multiple Domain Name System (DNS) servers so that names are resolved even if your primary DNS server is down. If your preferred DNS server (the first name in the list) does not acknowledge, Windows attempts the next DNS server in the list.

However, if the primary DNS server does acknowledge that the name to be resolved is not found in it's database, the DNS lookup fails and Windows attempts the next form of name resolution, such as HOSTS or Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) depending on the node type defined.

This can lead to a problem if you have a local DNS server for local name resolution and a remote DNS server for Internet name resolution. Because a reply is usually returned from the DNS server that is first in the list, you never get names resolved that only exist on the second DNS server. Therefore, you can only resolve local names or remote names, but not both.



RESOLUTION
To use a local DNS server for local name resolution and a remote DNS server for Internet name resolution:

Create a HOSTS or LMHOSTS file or use WINS for local name resolution.

-or-

Configure the DNS servers to forward requests to each other. This way, if a name is not found in one DNS server database, that server queries the other DNS server for the name and then returns it to the client.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

261968 Explanation of the Server List Management Feature in the Domain Name Resolver Client

Additional query words: failure search order netbios resolver behavior

Keywords: kbenv kbnetwork KB135919

Technology: kbwin2000AdvServ kbwin2000AdvServSearch kbwin2000DataServ kbwin2000DataServSearch kbwin2000Pro kbwin2000ProSearch kbwin2000Search kbwin2000Serv kbwin2000ServSearch kbWinAdvServSearch kbWinDataServSearch kbWinNT350search kbWinNT351search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS350search kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS351search kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNTWsearch

-

[mailto:TECHNET@MICROSOFT.COM Send feedback to Microsoft]

© 2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.