updating DNS entries via AD...

[atari37]

Is it possible to add a secondary DNS server to all workstation via AD or do I have to script it? I have a new DNS server I will like to use as secondary for my workstation but I don't feel like walking to each users desk. Doing it via AD will be the ideal way.

[atari37]

I believe I found the setting in AD under computer configuration >admin template>DNS clients.

I enabled DNS server and added both primary and secondary as such: 192.1.2.3 192.1.2.4 but it doesn't seem to be working. I rebooted my workstation but it didn't update the DNS servers.

What am I doing wrong?

[cyberpyr8]

I am assuming that your workstations aren't using DHCP. If they are just make the change there. Otherwise, you might be able to use dnscmd.exe. Information on that command can be found here:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserve...3.mspx?mfr=true

[atari37]

I am assuming that your workstations aren't using DHCP. If they are just make the change there. Otherwise, you might be able to use dnscmd.exe. Information on that command can be found here:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserve...3.mspx?mfr=true

The primary DNS is using DHCP to assign IP addresses however, the secondary DNS I'm trying to add doesn't have DHCP...Can I still use DHCP to complete this configuration? Do I add the secondary DNS server under the server options?

[cyberpyr8]

Yes, if you are using DHCP to assign IP's to the workstations just put your primary and secondary servers in there. Be sure your primary is the top one listed.

[atari37]

Yes, if you are using DHCP to assign IP's to the workstations just put your primary and secondary servers in there. Be sure your primary is the top one listed.

I tried this before leaving for the day but it didn't work.

[adamt]

Yes, if you are using DHCP to assign IP's to the workstations just put your primary and secondary servers in there. Be sure your primary is the top one listed.

I tried this before leaving for the day but it didn't work.

Did you try doing:

ipconfig /release all

ipconfig /renew all

to force the changes to be picked up?

Are you sure the workstations are DHCP clients (ie - not configured with static DNS settings)?

[atari37]

Yes, if you are using DHCP to assign IP's to the workstations just put your primary and secondary servers in there. Be sure your primary is the top one listed.

I tried this before leaving for the day but it didn't work.

Did you try doing:

ipconfig /release all

ipconfig /renew all

to force the changes to be picked up?

Are you sure the workstations are DHCP clients (ie - not configured with static DNS settings)?

Yes, the workstations are DHCP clients using DNS configured during AD setup. This secondary I'm trying to add however isn't AD integrated.

I did the above and a couple others like ipconfig /flushdns and ipconfig /registerdns. Even rebooted workstations a couple of times without any results.

It works fine when I manually add the secondary dns.

[adamt]

Yes, the workstations are DHCP clients using DNS configured during AD setup. This secondary I'm trying to add however isn't AD integrated.

I did the above and a couple others like ipconfig /flushdns and ipconfig /registerdns. Even rebooted workstations a couple of times without any results.

It works fine when I manually add the secondary dns.

It shouldn't matter that the secondary is not AD-integrated. All you're doing is telling clients to send requests to it.

ipconfig /flushdns will clear out the resolver cache, and /registerdns will tell clients to send their info to a DNS server (your secondary server won't be able to register these connections itself).

You need to do ipconfig /release all and /renew all in order to enforce the picking up of new settings (like DNS server addresses).

[atari37]

Yes, the workstations are DHCP clients using DNS configured during AD setup. This secondary I'm trying to add however isn't AD integrated.

I did the above and a couple others like ipconfig /flushdns and ipconfig /registerdns. Even rebooted workstations a couple of times without any results.

It works fine when I manually add the secondary dns.

It shouldn't matter that the secondary is not AD-integrated. All you're doing is telling clients to send requests to it.

ipconfig /flushdns will clear out the resolver cache, and /registerdns will tell clients to send their info to a DNS server (your secondary server won't be able to register these connections itself).

You need to do ipconfig /release all and /renew all in order to enforce the picking up of new settings (like DNS server addresses).

As I previously mentioned...I did do the release and renew as well without any luck. Rebooting the workstations should take care of this, no?

Even if this worked, it will defeat the purpose of trying to automate this process. I have way too many workstations to be doing this manually.

[adamt]

Rebooting a machine doesn't necessarily renew the IP. The workstation will continue to use its assigned IP address for the entire duration of the lease, provided it can ping its default gateway.

[atari37]

Not so much renewing the IP...I know the lease is not up yet but since I'm using DHCP, I would thing that rebooting the server will update the dns via DHCP.

[eyeball]

have you added the secondary DNS in, under scope options of the dhcp mmc?

[atari37]

Thanks to all who helped...eyeball, I had the secondary DNS under server options and that wasn't working. I moved it to scope options after I read your post and that made it show up under ifconfig so I added the DNS domain name of the secondary server and all is well now.

Again, thanks to all...