Chapter 5

Using the DNS Service and Active Directory Service

About This Chapter

Domain Name System (DNS) is a naming system based on a distributed database used in Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) networks to translate computer names to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. It is the widely used default naming system for IP-based networks. DNS makes it easy to locate computers and other resources on these networks. The version of DNS that ships with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server products is compliant with standard DNS as described in the Request for Comments (RFC) documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). This chapter presents an introduction to DNS and name resolution. It also presents the skills and knowledge necessary to configure clients to use the DNS Service.

A directory service uniquely defines users and resources on a network. Directory services based on Active Directory technology in Windows 2000 provide a single point of network management, allowing you to add, remove, and relocate users and resources easily. This chapter introduces you to the Active Directory service.

Before You Begin

To complete this chapter, you must have

• A computer that meets the minimum hardware requirements listed in the preface, About This Book
• Installed the Windows XP Professional software on the computer
• Installed TCP/IP as the only protocol