DNS Technical Reference

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

DNS Technical Reference

Domain Name System (DNS) is the default name resolution service used in a Windows Server® 2008 network. DNS is part of the Windows Server 2008 TCP/IP protocol suite and all TCP/IP network connections are, by default, configured with the IP address of at least one DNS server in order to perform name resolution on the network. Windows Server 2008 components that require name resolution will attempt to use this DNS server before attempting to use the earlier default Windows name resolution service, Windows Internet Name Service (WINS).

Windows Server 2008 includes an IETF standard-based DNS server as a service. The Windows Server 2008 DNS Server service is RFC-compliant and therefore it is fully compatible with any other RFC-compliant DNS server. A DNS Client resolver is included as a service in all client and server versions of the Windows operating system.

This technical reference contains the following topics, which describe how the DNS Server and Client services form a Windows Server 2008 DNS infrastructure:

• What Is DNS?

• How DNS Works

  • DNS Architecture

  • DNS Protocol

  • DNS Physical Structure

  • DNS Processes and Interactions

  • DNS Reference Information

• DNS Tools and Settings

  • DNS Registry Entries

  • DNS WMI Classes

  • DNS Group Policy Settings

  • Network Ports Used by DNS