DNS Records Registered by Windows 2000 Domain Controllers

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

SUMMARY

As a function of the Netlogon service, Windows 2000 domain controllers can register one or more DNS records. When you view the properties for records that are prefixed with "_ldap", note that these entries are Service Location (SRV) records, used in identifying an available service on a host.In the following descriptions, <DnsDomainName> refers to the DNS domain name used during promotion of the server when the domain tree is joined or created. <DnsTreeName> refers to the DNS domain name of the root domain. To identify the correct DNS entries that should exist for the Windows 2000 installation, locate and open the text file Netlogon.dns in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config folder.

MORE INFORMATION

Windows 2000 Domain Controllers can register the following DNS records:

_ldap._tcp.<DnsDomainName>.

   This record allows a client to find a Windows 2000 domain controller
   in the domain named by <DnsDomainName>. For example, a client looking
   for a domain controller in the PSS domain would query
   _ldap._tcp.pss.microsoft.com. Each domain controller registers this
   record. 

   This record allows a client to find a Windows 2000 domain controller
   in the domain named by <DnsDomainName> and is also in the site named by
   <SiteName>. For example, a client looking for a domain controller in the
   PSS domain in the Charlotte site would query
   _ldap._tcp.charlotte._sites.pss.microsoft.com. Each domain controller
   registers this record for the appropriate site. 

   This record allows a client to find the primary domain controller (PDC)
   of a mixed-mode domain named by <DnsDomainName>. Only the PDC of the
   domain registers this record. The PDC is responsible for deregistering
   any other registrations of this record. 

   This record allows a client to find a Global Catalog (GC) server. Only
   domain controllers serving as Global Catalog servers for the tree named
   by <DnsTreeName> register this name. For example, this could be
   ldap._tcp.gc._msdcs.microsoft.com. Should the domain controller acting
   as a Global Catalog server cease to be a GC server, the server will
   automatically deregister this record. 

   This record allows a client to find a Global Catalog (GC) server that is
   in the site named by <SiteName>. Only domain controllers serving as
   Global Catalog servers for the tree named by <DnsTreeName> register this
   name. For example, a registration could be
   _ldap._tcp.charlotte._sites.gc._msdcs.microsoft.com. 

   This record allows a client to find a domain controller in a domain
   based on its Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). A GUID is a 128-bit (or
   8-byte) number that is automatically generated for referencing objects
   in the Active Directory -- in this case, the domain. For example, a
   client might query for _ldap._tcp.4f904480-7c78-11cf-b057-
   00aa006b4f8f.domains._msdcs.microsoft.com. 

   This record allows a client to find a domain controller in the domain
   named <DnsDomainName> that holds a modifiable copy of the Directory. The
   primary domain controller (PDC) in mixed-mode domains always registers
   this name. In native-mode domains, all domain controllers register this
   name. 

   This record allows a client to find a domain controller that holds a
   modifiable copy of the Directory in the domain named by <DnsDomainName>
   and in the site named by <SiteName>. For example, a client might query
   for _ldap._tcp.charlotte._sites.writable._msdcs.microsoft.com. 

   This record allows a client to find a domain controller in the domain by
   means of a normal A (Host) record lookup. 

Additional query words:

Keywords : NTSrvWkst
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbinfo