Recipe 13.9 Modifying the DNS Server Configuration

13.9.1 Problem

You want to modify the DNS Server settings.

13.9.2 Solution

13.9.2.1 Using a graphical user interface

Open the DNS Management snap-in.
If an entry for the DNS server you want to connect to does not exist, right-click on DNS in the left pane and select Connect to DNS Server. Select This computer or The following computer, enter the server you want to connect to (if applicable), and click OK.
Click on the server, right-click on it, and select Properties.
There will be several tabs you can choose from to edit the server settings.
Click OK to commit the changes after you've completed your modifications.

13.9.2.2 Using a command-line interface

With the following command, replace <Setting> with the name of the setting to modify and <Value> with the value to set:

> dnscmd <DNSServerName> /config  /<Setting> <Value>

13.9.2.3 Using VBScript

set objDNS = GetObject("winMgmts:root\MicrosoftDNS")
set objDNSServer = objDNS.Get("MicrosoftDNS_Server.Name="".""")
objDNSServer.<Setting> = <Value>  ' e.g. objDNSServer.AllowUpdate = TRUE
objDNSServer.Put_

13.9.3 Discussion

The Microsoft DNS server supports a variety of settings to configure everything from scavenging and forwarders to logging. With the DNS Management snap-in, the settings are spread over several tabs in the Properties property page. You can get a list of these settings by simply running dnscmd /config from a command line. For the CLI and VBScript solutions, the setting names are nearly identical. In the VBScript solution, be sure to call the Put_ method after you are done configuring settings in order for the changes to take effect.