Modify the start of authority (SOA) record for a zone

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To modify the start of authority (SOA) record for a zone

• Using the Windows interface

• Using a command line

Using the Windows interface

1. Open DNS.

2. In the console tree, right-click the applicable zone, and then click Properties.

3. Click the Start of Authority (SOA) tab.

4. As needed, modify properties for the start of authority (SOA) record.

Notes

• To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

• To open DNS, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click DNS.

• The settings applied for the start of authority (SOA) record affect how zone transfers are made between servers. For more information, see Related Topics.

Using a command line

1. Open Command Prompt.

2. Type:

   dnscmdServerName**/RecordAddZoneNameNodeName [/Aging**] [Ttl] SOA PrimSvr Admin Serial#\ Refresh Retry Expire MinTTL

Value	Description
dnscmd	Specifies the name of the command-line program.
ServerName	Required. Specifies the DNS host name of the DNS server. You can also type the IP address of the DNS server. To specify the DNS server on the local computer, you can also type a period (.)
/RecordAdd	Required. Adds or modifies a resource record.
ZoneName	Required. Specifies the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the zone.
NodeName	Required. Specifies the FQDN of the node in the DNS namespace for which the SOA record is added. You can also type the node name relative to the ZoneName or @, which specifies the zone's root node.
/Aging	Specifies that this resource record is able to be aged and scavenged. If this parameter is not used, the resource record remains in the DNS database unless it is manually updated or removed.
/OpenAcl	Specifies that new records are open to modification by any user. Without this parameter, only administrators may modify the new record.
Ttl	Specifies the Time to Live (TTL) setting for the resource record. (The default TTL is defined in SOA resource record).
SOA	Required. Specifies the type of resource record you are modifying.
PrimSvr	Required. Specifies the FQDN name of the server that is the primary source for information about the zone. For example, nameserver.place.example.microsoft.com.
Admin	Required. Specifies the name of the DNS administrator for the zone. For example, postmaster.nameserver.place.example.microsoft.com.
Serial#\	Required. Specifies the version information for the zone.
Refresh	Required. Specifies the refresh interval for the zone. The standard setting is 3600 (one hour).
Retry	Required. Specifies the retry interval for the zone. The standard setting is 600 (ten minutes).
Expire	Required. Specifies the expire interval for the zone. The standard setting is 86400 (one day).
MinTTL	Required. Specifies the minimum Time to Live (TTL) value. This is the length of time used by other DNS servers to determine how long to cache information for a record in the zone before expiring and discarding it. The standard setting is 3600 (one hour).

Notes

• To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

• To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.

• This procedure requires the Dnscmd Windows support tool. For information about installing Windows support tools, see Related Topics.

• To view the complete syntax for this command, at a command prompt, type:

  dnscmd /RecordAdd /help

• To modify any specific SOA resource record's values using dnscmd, you must specify all of the SOA values (PrimSvr Admin Serial#\ Refresh Retry Expire MinTTL).

Formatting legend

Format	Meaning
Italic	Information that the user must supply
Bold	Elements that the user must type exactly as shown
Ellipsis (...)	Parameter that can be repeated several times in a command line
Between brackets ([])	Optional items
Between braces ({}); choices separated by pipe (|). Example: {even|odd}	Set of choices from which the user must choose only one
Courier font	Code or program output

Information about functional differences

• Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Managing authority records
Managing general properties
Understanding zones and zone transfer
Install Windows Support Tools