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Using Automatic Configuration
The Windows 2000 implementation of DNS offers a DNS Server Configuration
wizard, which greatly simplifies the DNS server installation and configuration
process. For example, it offers an elegant way of priming the root hints for a new
DNS server.
The Server Configuration Wizard sends to the computer’s preferred and (possibly
alternative) DNS server(s) a NS query for the root, ".", node. The response is placed
into the root hints of this new server. If no root servers are detected, then the wizard
sends the same query to the DNS servers specified in the cache.dns file,
corresponding to the root servers on the Internet. If again no root servers are
detected, the wizard prompts the user to either make the server a root server (by
simply choosing the appropriate option) or manually specify root hints.
WINS Referral
WINS filled the role of domain and machine locator service for previous versions of
Windows NT. Windows 2000 will not require WINS in a NetBIOS-less environment.
However, WINS will always be required in a mixed environment where
Windows 2000-based machines interoperate with other systems such as
Windows NT 4.0, Windows 9X, and Windows for Workgroups.
WINS Referral is the recommended way for Windows 2000 DNS clients to address
down-level machines registered in WINS. Because Windows 2000 resolvers are
optimized to use DNS, they would be much more efficient looking up down-level
clients in a DNS database as opposed to WINS database. To enable this kind of
lookup, a WINS referral zone can be created in DNS that points to the WINS
database.
This zone does not perform any registrations or updates; it simply refers DNS
lookups to WINS.
Whenever Windows 2000-based clients send a query with the unqualified name (for
example, ntservermydomain), the default domain name suffix will be tried first.
Additional suffixes, however, can be supplied as part of the DHCP configuration. If
the name of the WINS Referral zone is one of them, all WINS client names will be
able to be resolved.
Windows 2000 White Paper
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GLOSSARY