DNS Zone Transfer Fails from Windows NT Server to UNIX DNS Server

ID: Q193838

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When transferring a primary zone from a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 DNS server to a secondary zone on a UNIX DNS server, the zone transfer may fail if the Windows NT DNS zone is configured for WINS lookup or WINS Reverse Lookup.


CAUSE

The Microsoft DNS server may have a WINS or WINS-R (NBTSTAT) record included in the DNS file, which is not understood by UNIX DNS. This may cause the zone transfer to fail when the UNIX DNS server reaches the record in the transfer. The WINS record is the result of configuring WINS Lookup for a zone. The WINS-R (NBTSTAT) record is the result of configuring WINS Reverse Lookup for a reverse lookup zone.


RESOLUTION

There is an additional flag that can be set for the WINS and WINS-R (NBTSTAT) records in the zone transfer file that allow better interoperability with a UNIX DNS server. To avoid sending the WINS or WINS-R (NBTSTAT) records to DNS servers that do not have the WINS or WINS-R capability, configure the zone properties to specify "Settings only affect local server."

The "Settings only affect local server" configuration will insert the LOCAL flag immediately after the WINS or WINS-R (NBTSTAT) record. For example: 


   @  0 IN WINS  LOCAL 1.1.1.1  1.1.1.2
   @  0 IN WINS-R LOCAL domainname.com

On the primary Microsoft NT DNS server, the LOCAL flag keeps the record from being sent in a zone transfer.

To configure "Settings only affect local server" for a zone that uses WINS Lookup, perform the following steps:

  1. Select the zone and right-click it.


  2. Click Properties.


  3. Click the WINS Lookup tab.


  4. Click to select the "Settings only affect local server" check box.


  5. Click OK.


  6. Click the DNS menu.


  7. Click Update Server Data Files.


To configure "Settings only affect local server" for a zone that uses WINS Reverse Lookup, perform the following steps:

  1. Select the reverse lookup zone and right-click it.


  2. Click Properties.


  3. Click the WINS Reverse Lookup tab.


  4. Click to select the "Settings only affect local server" check box.


  5. Click OK.


  6. Click the DNS menu.


  7. Click Update Server Data Files.



Keywords          : 
Version           : WinNT:4.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: February 18, 1999