DNS can use the WINS database to
provide for quasi-DNS resolution of WINS clients. This means that if a
name-resolution request is sent to a DNS server to resolve
client1.companyabc.com, for example, the DNS server will first look in
the companyabc.com zone. If no record exists for
client1.companyabc.com, the DNS server will perform a lookup on the
WINS database for CLIENT1; if a WINS record exists, the DNS server will
take this IP address and send it back to the DNS client as
client1.companyabc.com, as illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1. WINS integration with DNS.
This functionality must be enabled on the DNS
server because it is not configured by default. This feature is
configured on a zone-by-zone basis; however, if the forward lookup zone
is an AD-integrated zone, each Windows Server 2012 DNS server hosting
this zone will copy this WINS setting. To enable WINS resolution on a
DNS server, follow these steps:
1. Launch Server Manager from a Windows 2012 server with a full GUI.
2. Select the DNS section. The list of servers in the server pool with the DNS role installed will be shown.
3. Right-click the DNS server to configure and select DNS Manager.
4. Select the DNS server name to configure.
5. Select the Forward Lookup Zones node.
6. Right-click the zone in question and click Properties.
7. Choose the WINS tab.
8. Check the Use WINS Forward Lookup check box.
9. Enter the IP
address of the WINS servers to be used for resolution of names not
found in DNS, and click Add to save the changes, as illustrated in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Configuring WINS resolution in DNS.
10. If you are
replicating this zone between DNS servers that are not running Windows
Server 2012 DNS services, make sure to check the Do Not Replicate This
Record box. This prevents the records from being replicated to other
servers during zone transfers.
11. Click OK to finish and return to the DNS Manager page.
