Create Creating a DNS Forward Lookup Zone in Windows Server

DNS servers are used to resolve FQDN hostnames into IP addresses and vice versa and Forward lookup zone Resolving Host Names to IP Addresses. This blog post will guide you through creating a forward lookup zone, a crucial step for directing users to your internal servers.

Understanding Forward Lookup Zones

A forward lookup zone is essentially a database that stores information about domain names and their corresponding IP addresses within your network. When a user on your network tries to access a local server using its domain name (e.g., fileserver.yourcompany.local), the DNS server consults the forward lookup zone to find the associated IP address and directs the user accordingly.

Creating a Forward Lookup Zone in Windows Server

Prerequisites:

·         Administrative access to your Windows Server hosting the DNS role.

·         Knowledge of the domain name you want to create a zone for (e.g., yourcompany.local).

Steps:

1.    Launch the DNS Management Console:

§  Open Server Manager.

§  Navigate to Tools > DNS

2.    Create the Forward Lookup Zone:

§  In the left pane of the DNS Management Console, right-click on the Forward Lookup Zones node.

§  Select New Zone... from the context menu.

§  The New Zone Wizard will appear. Click Next

3.    Choose the Zone Type:

§  Select Primary zone and click Next. This option creates a master copy of the zone that can be replicated to other DNS servers in your network (optional for standalone servers).

4.    Define the Zone Name:

§  In the Zone name field, enter the domain name for your forward lookup zone (e.g., yourcompany.local). Click Next.

5.    Dynamic Updates (Optional):

§  By default, dynamic updates are disabled. This means you'll manually add and manage records within the zone. You can choose to enable dynamic updates if you want authorized devices to register their own records with the DNS server (not recommended for most internal networks). Click Next.

6.    Review and Complete:

§  Review the summary of your zone configuration. Click Finish to create the zone.

Adding Host Records (A Records) to Your Zone

After creating the forward lookup zone, you need to add host records (A records) that map specific hostnames within your domain to their corresponding IP addresses. Here's how:

1.    Right-click on the newly created zone in the left pane.

2.    Select New Host (A or AAAA)....

3.    Enter the hostname (e.g., fileserver) and the corresponding IP address of the server.

4.    Click Add Host to create the record.

5.    Repeat steps 3-4 for each server you want to map within the zone.