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DNS Server Root Hints Configuration

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Root hints are the names and addresses of servers that are authoritative for the root zone of the Domain Name System (DNS) namespace. Root hints can be used for resolving external names, such as the names of Internet host computers.

Events

Event ID Source Message

706

Microsoft-Windows-DNS-Server-Service

 The DNS server does not have a cache or other database entry for root name servers.
Either the root hints file, cache.dns, or Active Directory must have at least one name server (NS) resource record, indicating a root DNS server and a corresponding host (A) resource record for that root DNS server. Otherwise, the DNS server will be unable to contact the root DNS server on startup and will be unable to answer queries for names outside of its own authoritative zones. To correct this problem, use the DNS console to update the server root hints. For more information, see the online Help.

707

Microsoft-Windows-DNS-Server-Service

 The DNS server is not root authoritative and no root hints were specified in the cache.dns file.
Where the server is not a root server, this file must specify root hints in the form of at least one name server (NS) resource record, indicating a root DNS server and a corresponding host (A) resource record for that root DNS server. Otherwise, the DNS server will be unable to contact the root DNS server on startup and will be unable to answer queries for names outside of its own authoritative zones. To correct this problem, use the DNS console to update the server root hints. For more information, see the online Help.

1003

Microsoft-Windows-DNS-Server-Service

 The DNS server could not find or open the root hints file, Cache.dns, in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Dns directory. Verify that this file is located in this directory and that it contains at least one name server (NS) resource record, indicating a root DNS server and a corresponding host (A) resource record for that server. For more information, see the online Help.

DNS Server

DNS Infrastructure