DNS records

I would like to try something to easy management of policies. We have 4
sites that are connected, and oat easch site we have a server that has
software packages for the computers to install through group policy. We
would like to have 1 dns name for all of the servers to have them look to
the local server when at one site so that software updates are not going
across our WAN links.

I created A records with the same but pointing to different IPs and it seems
to work from the manamgement VLAN. But when the clients connect they will
not be in the management vlan, but in a vlan other than the default. With
the above setup when I pinged the name the server that was contacted was the
server at our main site.

I gues the real question is wether or not there is a record I can create to
help the clients to look to the local server instead of a static predefined
server so if they are at a different building they look to that server not
their home building's server.

Thanks,

Eric

 

You can't do that.

You have to create separate policies for each Site,...each policy using the
correct source server for the installations.

Apply the policies to the correct machines for each site. This is
controlled by either creating OUs for each Site and putting the corrects
machine in the correct OU,...or you control what machine gets which policy
via Security Groups,...or a combination of both methods.

The machines will install from the correct source according to what the
policy tells it to use.

--
Phillip Windell

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

 

Or use DFS...


Ace

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Ace Fekay, MVP, MCT, MCITP EA, MCTS Windows 2008 & Exchange 2007, MCSE & MCSA 2003/2000, MCSA Messaging 2003
Microsoft Certified Trainer
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

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I didn't think of that

I have never used DFS so it is never "on my mind" :-/

--
Phillip Windell

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

 

Hmmm. I can not picture in my mind how you would do it with DFS.

How would you do that? Doe it matter if it is 2003 DFS or 2008 DFS?

--
Phillip Windell

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

 

In message <#> "Phillip Windell"

DFS automatically picks a server in the local site when available, only
falling back on servers outside the local site when there is no local
DFS server available.

In other words, if your sites are set up properly so that clients and
servers match your network topology (likely matching your physical
topology too) then it should "just work"

 

DFS will work great if the client is using file services. If the
service name is for something like an SMTP / AV / etc. server, I don't
see how DFS will make a difference.

In this case, you will likely need to have a DNS record specific to each
site that will resolve to the site local server. (This is assuming that
there is a DNS server at each site.)

I.e. <service>.domain.tld would resolve to different addresses depending
on what site DNS server the query is made against.



Grant. . . .

 

You beat me to it!

Ace

 

Actually, I didn't mean for the DNS records. I meant for the package.
DFS is AD Site aware. If you set the package into a DFS share, then
the client will retrieve it from it's own site instead of traversing
the WAN, or needing to create multiple Software Package GPOs, one for
each site.

Ace