Configuring DNS Zones and Records in Windows Server 2022

Posted on 16th June 2023

DNS Zones

A DNS zone is a set of DNS records for a particular domain or subdomain. A DNS zone must be created on a DNS server before the DNS records for that zone can be created. You can use the DNS Manager snap-in to create, edit, and delete DNS zones and records. You can also use the DNS Management console to delegate authority for a DNS zone to another DNS server. DNS zones can be either primary or secondary.

Primary DNS Zones

A primary DNS zone is a zone that is stored on a local or on a remote DNS server. The DNS server that stores the primary DNS zone is authoritative for that zone. You can make changes to the zone, such as adding, changing, or deleting resource records. When you make changes to a primary DNS zone, the changes are immediately available to DNS clients that query the DNS server for information about the zone.

Secondary DNS Zones

A secondary DNS zone is a read-only copy of a primary DNS zone. A secondary DNS zone is stored on a remote DNS server. The DNS server that stores the secondary DNS zone is not authoritative for the zone. The zone is used to increase availability of DNS information and to provide redundancy if the primary DNS server for the zone becomes unavailable.

DNS Records

A DNS record is a unit of information that is stored in a DNS zone. A DNS record is used to map a domain name to an IP address, to map a domain name to another domain name, or to provide other information about a domain name or an IP address. You can use the DNS Manager snap-in to create, edit, and delete DNS records. You can also use the DNS Management console to delegate authority for a DNS zone to another DNS server.

A Records

An A record is a DNS record that maps a domain name to an IP address. An A record is used to find the IP address of a computer that is connected to the Internet. When you create a new A record, you must specify an IP address for the record. You can also specify a host name for the record. The host name is used to identify the record in DNS queries. A records are used to resolve the following types of names to an IP address:

  • Fully qualified domain names (FQDNs)
  • Host names
  • Alias names

AAAA Records

An AAAA record is a DNS record that maps a domain name to an IPv6 address. An AAAA record is used to find the IPv6 address of a computer that is connected to the Internet. When you create a new AAAA record, you must specify an IPv6 address for the record. You can also specify a host name for the record. The host name is used to identify the record in DNS queries. AAAA records are used to resolve the following types of names to an IPv6 address:

  • Fully qualified domain names (FQDNs)
  • Host names
  • Alias names

CNAME Records

A CNAME record is a DNS record that maps a domain name to another domain name. A CNAME record is used to resolve one domain name to another domain name. When you create a new CNAME record, you must specify the domain name that you want to map to another domain name. You can also specify a host name for the record. The host name is used to identify the record in DNS queries. CNAME records are used to resolve the following types of names to another domain name:

  • Fully qualified domain names (FQDNs)
  • Host names
  • Alias names

MX Records

An MX record is a DNS record that maps a domain name to a mail exchange server. An MX record is used to route email messages to the correct mail exchange server for a domain. When you create a new MX record, you must specify the host name of the mail exchange server. You can also specify a preference for the mail exchange server. The preference is used to determine the order in which mail exchange servers are tried if the first mail exchange server is unavailable. MX records are used to resolve the following types of names to a mail exchange server:

  • Fully qualified domain names (FQDNs)
  • Host names
  • Alias names

NS Records

An NS record is a DNS record that maps a domain name to a DNS server. An NS record is used to delegate authority for a DNS zone to another DNS server. When you create a new NS record, you must specify the host name of the DNS server. You can also specify a preference for the DNS server. The preference is used to determine the order in which DNS servers are tried if the first DNS server is unavailable. NS records are used to resolve the following types of names to a DNS server:

  • Fully qualified domain names (FQDNs)
  • Host names
  • Alias names

PTR Records

A PTR record is a DNS record that maps an IP address to a domain name. A PTR record is used to resolve an IP address to a domain name. When you create a new PTR record, you must specify the IP address that you want to map to a domain name. You can also specify a host name for the record. The host name is used to identify the record in DNS queries. PTR records are used to resolve the following types of IP addresses to a domain name:

  • IPv4 addresses
  • IPv6 addresses

SOA Records

An SOA record is a DNS record that specifies the start of a DNS zone. An SOA record is used to identify the primary DNS server for a DNS zone. When you create a new SOA record, you must specify the primary DNS server for the zone. You can also specify the email address of the person responsible for the DNS zone. The email address is used to notify the person responsible for the DNS zone if there are problems with the DNS zone. SOA records are used to resolve the following types of names to a primary DNS server:

  • Fully qualified domain names (FQDNs)
  • Host names
  • Alias names

SRV Records

An SRV record is a DNS record that specifies the location of a service on a network. An SRV record is used to locate a service on a network. When you create a new SRV record, you must specify the name of the service, the protocol, the port number, and the host name of the server. You can also specify a preference for the server. The preference is used to determine the order in which servers are tried if the first server is unavailable. SRV records are used to resolve the following types of names to a service on a network:

  • Fully qualified domain names (FQDNs)
  • Host names
  • Alias names

TXT Records

A TXT record is a DNS record that specifies text information for a DNS zone. A TXT record is used to provide text information for a DNS zone. When you create a new TXT record, you must specify the text information for the record. TXT records are used to resolve the following types of names to text information:

  • Fully qualified domain names (FQDNs)
  • Host names
  • Alias names

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