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Our secondary DNS server (Windows Server 2003) cannot see or connect to our primary DNS server (Windows Server 2008). (We can ICMP by name, but we cannot add in the DNS Manager GUI.) But our primary DNS server can talk to our secondary DNS server. We are trying to troubleshoot but are at a loss for what to do next. Here is what we know:

  1. Both servers have entries on the primary DNS server.
  2. In DNS Manager, when we click on actions and then connect to DNS server, we can connect from primary to secondary but not the other way around.

Any ideas of how we might further troubleshoot this issue? I'd be happy to provide as much more information as I am able.

Thanks!

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    cannot see or connect to our primary DNS server - start by getting more precise about what cannot see means. Do you mean it lacks ICMP connectivity? Does it mean you can't see it in the GUI, or what. If you are not sure use wireshark.
    – Zoredache
    Mar 25, 2014 at 23:23
  • @Zoredache Great question. We can ICMP by name. We cannot add in the DNS Manager GUI.
    – user3079064
    Mar 25, 2014 at 23:25
  • I assume you have looked at your Windows Firewall then? Try disabling your firewalls? If that fixes things, then go back and figure out what is being clocked. Then un-block it.
    – Zoredache
    Mar 25, 2014 at 23:27
  • @Zoredache We'll check and give it a try. Thanks. One minute.
    – user3079064
    Mar 25, 2014 at 23:29
  • @Zoredache The firewall is off on both. When we try connecting with just server name, we get server unavailable. When we try fqdn or ip address, we get access denied. (I'll have to do more work on this tonight when I get home.)
    – user3079064
    Mar 25, 2014 at 23:32

1 Answer 1

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I think it's a Windows authentication problem. You're trying to use an MMC console to access one server from another server where the two servers don't share a centralized user account database. If you want to be able to access one server from the other you'll need to configure a common user account and password on both servers and launch the DNS management console with that user account.

I've tested this on both of my DNS servers and it proves out. The only thing I can't explain is why you can't connect from the older OS to the newer OS but can from the newer OS to the older OS.

Both of my servers are W2K8R2 and when I changed the Administrator password on one server I got access denied when trying to add the other server to the DNS management console. When the Administrator password on both servers matches I can successfully add and connect to each server from each server in the DNS management console.

Note that in the case where I get access denied because of a password mismatch, it DOES NOT prevent DNS record additions and deletions from propagating from the Primary to the Secondary server.

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  • Thank you for the response! I am unfortunately cut off from the servers tonight, but I will report back the results just as soon as I can gain access to these servers again (tomorrow or the next day). I will also be sure to accept this answer if it leads to our discovery of the issue. Thanks again!
    – user3079064
    Mar 26, 2014 at 3:14
  • There was a bit more going on, but the authentication allowed the two dns servers to connect. Thanks!
    – user3079064
    Mar 27, 2014 at 18:02
  • Glad to help...
    – joeqwerty
    Mar 27, 2014 at 18:49

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