Chapter 5 - Name Resolution

Abstract

This chapter discusses name resolution strategies including the domain name system (DNS), Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) considerations, and the best ways to implement these technologies to provide an efficient, robust, scalable, and available name resolution strategy. The chapter also discusses DNS zones, their configuration, and storage options, followed by the strategies for securing the namespace, servers, zones, and records through delegation. The types of the zones used in the Windows Server 2003 DNS are primary, secondary, Active Directory integrated, reverse lookup, and stub. DNS zones are used to divide the namespace, use servers to allocate resources, and divide services. The namespace must be designed to meet the business requirements and make an optimum use of technology resources, such as the available bandwidth within and between sites. Subdividing the namespace into zones makes it easier for the DNS to manage the use of the available bandwidth, which increases performance. In the Windows Server 2003, DNS zones can be stored within the domain or in the Active Directory data structures used specifically for replication purposes, known as application directory partitions. In the most generic sense, the application directory partitions are used most often to store dynamic data. Because data change more often than the configuration information for a forest, the replication scope and frequency of an application directory partition can be set for each partition.