DNS and VM only Unity

[ciscoforum]

VM only unity with exchange/DC/DNS in one box. Since we require this server to access internet,after the server is built and running we changed the NIC DNS setting to our coporate DNS server. I noticed the unity is still working fine. My understanding is that this unity used its own DNS server when during DC promo,and NIC DNS shows 127.0.0.1(local). If we change it to the other DNS, it should have problem. Unless the NIC DNS is not a problem at all as long as the Unity runs DNS service.

[Hin Lee]

It's not a matter of Unity is still working. If you check your system logs, you will notice that you have NETLOGON warnings and errors. Unity depends on windows/AD, Exchange, and they are dependent on DNS working correctly.

You should change your ip settings to point back to yourself for DNS. In order for you to still resolve internet domains, set up forwarding for you dns as outlined below:

1. Start the DNS Management console.

2. Right-click the name of the server, and then click Properties.

3. On the Forwarders tab, click to select the Enable Forwarders check box.

4. Type the appropriate IP addresses for the DNS servers that may be accepting forwarded requests from this DNS server. The list reads top-down in order, so place a preferred DNS server at the top of the list.

5. Click OK to accept the changes.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;260362

[Michael Huffman]

I thought I'd just add something to this as I just went through a similar situation.

If you installed the VM only server and created a new AD domain rather then joining an existing one, your DNS is probably set as a root server. In order to be able to setup forwarding, you'll have to remove the root zone first.

[Hin Lee]

You are dead-on. The root zone is the . (dot). After you remove it, you have to close the dns-applet and reopen it to add the forwarders.