Knowledge Base

SRV Resource Records May Not Be Created on Domain Controller

Article ID: 239897

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server

This article was previously published under Q239897

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to upgrade a Windows NT-based primary domain controller (PDC) or backup domain controller (BDC) or you promote a Windows 2000 Server-based computer to a domain controller, you may receive the following error message:

The wizard can't contact the DNS server that handles the name domainname to determine if it supports dynamic update. Confirm your DNS configuration, or install and configure a DNS server on this computer.

When you close the error message, the following message dialog box is displayed:

DNS is not available. Would you like the wizard to install and configure a DNS server for your new domain?

CAUSE

This issue can occur if the computer you upgrade or promote is unable to contact a Domain Name Server (DNS) server, the DNS server is not authoritative for your zone in the domain, or the DNS server does not support dynamic update.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use the wizard, or manually configure your computer to be a DNS server or to use a remote DNS server:

Configure Your Computer as a DNS Server

Configure the DNS server configuration to use the local computer's IP address:
1. On the toolbar click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network and Dial-Up Connections.
2. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.
3. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
4. Click Advanced.
5. On the DNS tab, add the computer's IP address to the top of the list of DNS servers.
6. Click OK, until you return to the desktop.
Restart the netlogon service and verify the Service Location (SRV) resource records (RR) folders exist in the DNS Management Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Snap-in:
1. Type the following lines at a command prompt, press ENTER after each line:
  
  net stop netlogon
  net start netlogon
2. On the toolbar click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
3. Expand your DNS server to display the node Forward Lookup Zones.
4. Expand Forward Lookup Zones to display the zone which contains your domain.
5. Expand the node with your domain name and verify the following four folders exist:
  
  _msdcs
  _sites
  _tcp
  _udp
  
  NOTE: These folders contain the SRV RR records that Windows 2000 client-based computers need to function in a Windows 2000 domain.

Configure DNS for a Remote DNS Server

Change the computer's DNS server entry in TCP/IP properties to the IP address of the server hosting the DNS service:
1. On the toolbar click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network and Dial-Up Connections.
2. Right-click Local Area Connection, and then click Properties.
3. Click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
4. Click Advanced.
5. On the DNS tab, add the IP address of the computer hosting the DNS service to the top of the list of DNS servers.
6. Click OK, until you return to the desktop.
On the computer hosting the DNS service, add a zone with the name of the domain you created and configure it for dynamic updates.
1. On the toolbar click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
2. Expand the DNS server node to display the node Forward Lookup Zones.
3. Right-click Forward Lookup Zones, and then click New Zone.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Standard Primary Zone.
6. Type the domain name of the domain you created and accept the default zone file name.
7. Click Finish.
8. Double-click Forward Lookup Zones.
9. Right-click on the zone that has the same name as your Active Directory Name, and then select Properties.
10. In the Allow dynamic updates box, click Yes from the menu.
Restart the netlogon service and verify the SRV RR folders exist in the DNS Management MMC Snap-in:
1. Type the following lines at a command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line:
  
  net stop netlogon
  net start netlogon
2. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.
3. Expand your DNS server to display the node Forward Lookup Zones.
4. Expand Forward Lookup Zones to display the zone which contains your domain.
5. Expand the node with your domain name and verify the following four folders exist:
  
  _msdcs
  _sites
  _tcp
  _udp
  
  NOTE: These folders contain the SRV RR records that Windows 2000 client-based computers need to function in a Windows 2000 domain.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in Microsoft Windows 2000 Server.

MORE INFORMATION

If you run the wizard, the wizard attempts to install and configure the DNS service using the necessary SRV RR records. If you do not run the wizard, you need to manually configure the TCP/IP configuration for DNS.

If you do not configure the computer's TCP/IP configuration for DNS correctly, the netlogon service is unable to register the SRV RR with the DNS service.

If the netlogon service does not register on the PDC or BDC, Windows 2000 client-based computers may receive the following error message:

The following error occurred validating domainname. The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted.

For the netlogon service to register correctly, the following is required:

The DNS server must be authoritative for your zone.
The DNS server must support SRV RR (RFC 2052).
The server must support dynamic update (RFC 2136).

NOTE: The Windows 2000 DNS service supports all of these requirements.

Network clients use SRV records to locate network resources such as the Global Catalog server, or the domain controllers to log on to a domain.

Keywords: kbenv kberrmsg kbnetwork kbprb KB239897

Microsoft KB Archive/239897

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