Reverse zone records for Workstations are not updated

  • 7008450
  • 30-May-2012
  • 26-Jun-2012

Environment

Open Enterprise Server 11 (OES11)
Domain Services for Windows
DSfW

Situation

Two domains
FRD is the first domain also known as first realm domain.  It is running DNS and is primary for both the forward and reverse zone.
CDC is the second domain or child domain controller.  It is also running DNS and is primary for it's forward zone.  This domain is using the same reverse zone as the FRD and there for is not primary for the reverse zone.

Reverse zone records for workstations joined to a CDC (child domain controller) will not be updated if the CDC has DNS configured and the reverse zone's primary DNS server is FRD.

nslookup returns that the reverse zone can not be found
example:
nslookup 10.10.0.1
  ** server can't find 1.0.10.10.in-addr.arpa.: NXDOMAIN

Resolution

DNS only allows for one primary server per zone.  The primary server is the only server that can write to the zone.  An authoritative DNS server can answer request.  Since the CDC is not primary for the reverse zone, it can not update records for the reverse zone.  By default the CDC is not authoritative either, how ever it can be added as authoritative.  This applies to ADC (Additional Domain Controllers).  ADCs can not update the records for zone since they are not primary but only authoritative.

The FRD DNS server must be listed as an alternate DNS server on the workstations DNS configuration.
A good rule to follow is relevant zone designated servers must be specified as alternated DNS servers on workstations DNS configuration.