The Decision to Integrate DNS with WINS

DNS is not dynamic, which means that administrative overhead is increased in a network like Terra Flora with the use of DNS. Administrators must update DNS computer files whenever a computer moves or a new computer is added to the network.

WINS was created to ease this type of administrative burden. Coupling DNS with WINS capitalizes on the strengths of each to provide a form of dynamic DNS. Windows NT 4.0 Server DNS Service provides a WINS lookup feature. If the name cannot be resolved using DNS, the name request is forwarded to WINS for resolution. It is this form of an integrated, dynamic, name-resolution feature that contributed to the decision at Terra Flora to migrate most of their DNS information and application to computers running Windows NT Server with the DNS service enabled. Terra Flora will use both DNS and WINS to resolve names.

It is clear to the CIO that the WINS Lookup feature provided as part of the Windows NT Server DNS service would help cut administrative costs by eliminating some of the manual name and address tracking administrative tasks associated with the current network DNS systems.

A key feature of the DNS service in Windows NT Server 4.0 is a graphical interface from which the database files can be managed. Use of this graphical tool should eliminate some of the error associated with making changes directly to a zone database file using an file editor.

Note

This form of dynamic name resolution is only available on networks with computers running Windows NT Server with DNS and WINS enabled.

For a complete discussion of DNS and WINS integration, see Chapter 3, "Implementation Considerations" in the Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Networking Supplement.

Implementation Plan for DNS

DNS is in use on many of the heterogeneous networks at Terra Flora. The plan to implement Windows NT Server DNS service was quite involved due to the fact that DNS is running without problems on the majority of the small, heterogeneous networks. However, the benefit of reduced administrative cost, combined with an integrated solution for the heterogeneous network was a compelling benefit to use Windows NT Server WINS and DNS services.

Before the merger of the heterogeneous networks, Terra Flora had four DNS zones. Terraflora.com was registered with Internet Network Information Center and operated as the authoritative domain. Three other zones were created on DNS servers, one for each of the company divisions, which were Nursery. Terraflora.com; Retail. Terraflora.com, and Supply.Terraflora.com.

The plan at Terra Flora includes replacing two of the three division's DNS systems with computers running Windows NT Server 4.0 DNS service. These two division are Supply.Terraflora.com and Nursery. Terraflora.com

The Sun server in the Retail Services division \\CASWN25ENT01 currently runs the key mission critical corporate application systems of Terra Flora. The plan for the current DNS system in the Retail. Terraflora.com zone is to incorporate a server running Windows NT Server 4.0 DNS service as a secondary server and track the performance of the server.

Then the Retail.Terraflora.com zone will be split. The new zone will be called NT.Retail.Terraflora.com and will consist of only computers running Windows NT Server 4.0 DNS service and no other DNS service. The servers will also be running WINS and DHCP and have the WINS Lookup feature enabled. The plan will be to eventually migrate all of the DNS functionality in the Retail Services division to Windows NT Server 4.0.

Note

Domain: There are several meanings associated with Domain. In the DNS world a domain is the name and address of every machine associated with a group. Windows NT Server domains are defined as the logical grouping of network servers and other computers that share a common security and user account information. For this discussion, domains will be divided into two terms: DNS Domains and Windows NT Server Domains.

Replacing the Nursery and Supply Divisions DNS Systems

The plan at Terra Flora is to replace the DNS servers storing the zone information and files of Nursery.Terraflora.com and Supply.Terraflora.com with the Windows NT Server DNS service. To do this, the following steps must be performed:

Integrating the Retail DNS System with Windows NT Server DNS Service

For Retail.Terraflora.com, the plan is different. A server running Windows NT Server 4.0 DNS Service will be added as a secondary server to the existing DNS Zone which is installed on a computer not running Windows NT Server. The performance of Windows NT will be measured.

A key feature of the Windows NT Server 4.0 DNS is the WINS Lookup feature. The Retail.Terraflora.com zone will be split. A new subzone called NT.RetaiI.Terraflora.com will be set up on computers running Windows NT Server DNS service. The servers in the new subzone will be WINS lookup enabled. Migration to the servers running Windows NT Server DNS service will take place over the next several months. As applications requiring DNS services are changed, the DNS services will be moved to the servers running Windows NT Server 4.0 DNS. The following steps will be followed: