How to import DNS entry from one Win2003 server to another 1

[ITSurvivor]

Hello all,

We have a Symantec email gateway running Win2003 Web server edition in the DMZ. This is also the primary DNS server for the external world. We would like to replace the older server with a newer one running Win2003 Enterprise Ed. We would like to keep the name the server the same name and IP address of the as the older server so that nothing can go wrong.

My question is how do I copy all the DNS information from the old server to the new one. I know there is the Export option but I don't see an import option.

Any help or link to articles would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Richard

 

[Stevehewitt]

If you network the two together, you can enable "Zone tranfers" from the properties of the zone. Once enabled on the old web server go to the shiny new one, open DNS and create a secondary zone. This will give the option to tranfer from the old server. (type in the IP). Finally, once it's transfered change the zone type on the new server to primary.

All done.

Good Luck,




Steve.

"They have the internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson

 

[ITSurvivor]

Hi Steve, thanks for replying. I thought about that, however, we want to use the old server name and IP address with the new server. When we create the secondary DNS on the new server, I need to name the server a different name from the original DNS server, ie, server1. So when I promote the new server to Primary and turn off the old server, I still have the name of the new server, ie, server2. I hope I am making sense here.

So, in essense, there is no way to export all the DNS entries, turn off the old server, bring up the new server with the same name and IP of the old server, import the DNS entries and away we go. Fantasy?

Thanks,

Richard

 

[Davetoo]

What is your environment? How many users? How many printers, etc. that have a static DNS entry?

If you're using DHCP, you can simply insert the new IP for the new DNS server into your scope and have everyone reboot. But, any static IP addresses will have to be manually updated with the new DNS server IP.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
The poster formerly known as lander215

 

[ITSurvivor]

Hi Davetoo, thanks for your reply.

Windows environment This Symantec email gateway resides in the DMZ and runs our external DNS server. Secondary DNS is our ISP, Abovenet. That is all this server does. The Symantec gw program has been crashing quite a lot and users are upset because no mails are getting through. So my boss wants to install the newer version of the Symantec program on a new server without changing anything, using same name and ip address.

Thanks,

Richard

 

[Stevehewitt]

If this DNS server is to be internal, then just add the new server IP in to the DHCP server scope so your clients can pick it up. If it's NAT'd then it doesn't matter what the IP is - just change the firewall to forward to a new IP.

You may be able to look at copying the zone file from C:\Windows\System32\DNS (I think) and importing to the new server. Then quickly change the IP over!

Basically I would do as originally suggested out of hours as there will be a few minutes downtime.




Steve.

"They have the internet on computers now!" - Homer Simpson