# New install Server 2008R2



## jwsimm48 (Aug 6, 2011)

Please don't laugh too hard; my first post.

We are finally moving from NT Server to Server 2008R2. We are not "Upgrading" as servers are old. A fresh install. Single Domain with four sites. When we did NT we installed PDC and BDC's all at once and then set up hardware vpn. I am confused on how to set up DNS. Do I install DNS on each DC at each site? Should I set them up like I did with NT and then transport? Should I set up all of the domain's user accounts and computers on the first DNS server? How do I configure DNS to replicate over the WAN using vpn?

Thanks,
jwsimm48


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## centauricw (Jun 26, 2010)

When you install Active Directory Domain Services (using DCPROMO.EXE) it's going to insist that there by a DNS Server running on the domain controller (particular the first one). Say YES to let DCPROMO install and a configure the DNS server. It's going to create two domains, the one you specified as the AD domain, and a second that starts with _msdcs (it will be a subdomain under the AD domain). Both will be Active Directory integrated DNS domains, meaning that Active Directory will handle the zone transfers and updates.

DNS is extremely important with Active Directory. WINS and NetBIOS name resolution is not used to find the domain controllers. It uses DNS lookups. If the DNS lookup fails, then all authentication will fail with a "domain controller could not be located error" and the user will have no access to network resources.


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