DNS Headache on 2008 R2

[timbo343]

I have just performed an upgrade from 2003 r2 x64 to 2008 R2 and the server was a DNS server, a dc and a CA server.

 

I have managed to get the server configured so that it is all these but i cannot for the life of me manage the DNS remotely through MMC.

 

When i try to connect to it via its name (say SERVER) i get "The server is unavailable. Would you like to add it anyway?" or if i type the FQDM in i get "Access was denied. Would you like to add it anyway?"

 

Now, the firewall is turned off which a lot of people seem to think it is and NSLOOKUP works without any problems.

 

I do have a second DNS running that the mo on 2003 but i am wanting to upgrade that too soon.

 

Has anyone seen this error before and know how to sort it out.

 

Thanks

[Firefox]

Did you manage to install the DNS role without any errors?

 

I would initially re-install this role, in the mean time point your server to the other DNS server to pickup DNS.

 

Once you're happy that is has a full working copy, set it back to itself.

[timbo343]

I have already re-run the role as the first time it would not pickup the entries from the 2nd DNS server.

 

I am happy with the way it is replicating the entries between the 2 but i cannot access the server via mmc.

[Firefox]

what's the OS of the device you're trying to run the remote MMC snap-in?

 

I did come across an issue with this when I was on XP, but as we were due to upgrade to Windows 7 at the time it was instantly resolved

[timbo343]

Ahh. My machine is on XP which is running the mmc snap in and the server is on 2008 R2. I have a Win 7 machine which is just downloading RSAT x64 and my thought was to install this and see what happens.

[Firefox]

cool, let us know if that fixed it, be interested to know if it was the upgrade that solved it

[timbo343]

Just an update... I have installed windows 7 and RSAT x64. Run the DNS tool from this, input the server name which runs 2008 R2 and it connected first time without any problems and i can see my other DNS server which is sat on a 2003 box. This will be getting upgraded tomorrow or friday.

 

So the conclusion, you cannot remotely administer a DNS server which is running 2008 R2 on an XP box.

[HiFromSabbir]

This is an old post. But I recently ran into very similar problem and found a Microsoft Technet article that clearly explains this very strange phenomenon that Microsoft introduced in their new Windows 2008 and later servers where attempts to manage DNS servers located on Windows 2008 (or later) server from older clients would produce the error messages that TIMBO343 mentioned in his/her opening thread. That is when one tries to connect to a DNS server located on a Windows 2008 (or later) server via the server's name (say SERVER) one gets "The server is unavailable. Would you like to add it anyway?" And if one types in the FQDM one gets the message "Access was denied. Would you like to add it anyway?"

 

Here is the explanation from Microsoft and ways to get around it:

 

Windows Server 2008 R2 DNS Servers can only be managed by computers running Windows Server 2008 or later