W2K multi-master features

[Michael E. Hanson]

> >In the event of a conflict (two servers recording changes to the
> >same DNS entry between replication cycles), the record with the newer
> >timestamp "wins" and the older change is discarded.
>
>       The result of this will be the discarding of an otherwise valid
> update.

Not true.  One of the two must be discarded.  Note that this is not simply a
change to the same zone but a change to a specific entry, such as the A
record for a particular host.  If two servers in a multi-master zone both
update the same A record, then the most recent one will be kept and the
older one discarded.  How else would you do it?

>
> >Running a single DNS on anything but a very small unimportant network is
a
> >mistake IMHO.  Without DNS, your Win2K and WinXP clients will not be able
> to
> >locate the Domain Controller and will not be able to logon.  A minimum of
> >two DNS servers is recommended, more if you have multiple subnets and
> sites.
>
>       Agreed on the minimum of two DNS servers, but nothing says they have
> to be Microsoft products.
>

Except that the message I was responding to stated that the administrator
only ran a single Win2K DNS in "multi-master mode".  If you're going to run
"multi-master mode", which is really AD Integrated, its still advisable to
run 2 of them.  And since he chose to run Win2K DNS (which is a good choice
in an AD environment) it makes since for both of them to be Win2K.  Had he
chosen to run BIND 9.2.x (which cannot be AD integrated) I still would have
suggested he run at least two, a standard primary and a standard secondary.
_______________
Michael E. Hanson
President, Gryphon Consulting  Services
(http://www.GryphonsGate.com)
P.O. Box 1151
Bellevue, NE  68005-1151
(402) 871-9622

MEHanson at GryphonsGate.com (primary)
Gryphons_Master at yahoo.com