Backing up a DNS server??, Backing up a DNS server?? Options

[WhiteShep]

Ok, I have two Win2k3 servers on Servermatrix as I run a medium size art community (non-comercial). I back up the web directories but I would also like to back up my servers as well like DNS. I have a lot of entries saved into the DNS server and it would take me a LONG time to key that all in by hand. I found the domain.com.dns files in windows\system\dns folder. But backing those up does not seem to make a diffrence restoring them (I copied them over to my other server to test this)?

What is the easiest way to back up the win2k3 DNS server so I can reload it in case of a crash?


Also a little off subject. Does anyone know a good link that explains how I can set up my other server as a redundent DNS to my primary server?

Thanks for any help! WS

[rabbit994]

/me cracks his hands.

Let's get to work.

First off, just backup the file out of system32/dns and right click on the server in DNS Manager, go to Advanced tab and make sure Load Zone Data from Startup is set to file.

To restore, you would recreate the forward lookup zone, copy the backup over the file it would create and go back to DNS Manager, right click on zone in question and click reload. Everything should be reloaded.

To create a secondary DNS Server.
On primary box:Right click on domain in question. Go to Zone Transfers and check allow zone transfer and click radio box for Only to servers listed on the name server tab. Go to name server tab. Add a name server with IP for the second box.

Secondary box:Go to DNS manager. Create a forward lookup zone. It's a Secondary Zone.
Type in domain name, type in IP of primary box. Everything should be transfered over. You might have to right click a few times and click reload from master on zone to get all to work.