Knowledge Base

How to Configure DNS for Terminal Server Browsing

Article ID: 191985

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q191985

SUMMARY

Terminal Server clients can be configured to use DNS to get a list of Terminal Server computers to which they can attach.

  1. Create a BrowseDNSDomain entry (REG_SZ) on the Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT client computer under the following registry key: 
          HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Terminal Server Client\Default
    The value for this will be the DNS group name you create for your Terminal Servers. For Windows for Workgroups clients, the value will go in the Mstsc.ini file.
  2. On the DNS server, create a CNAME record using the group name configured in the client registry as the Alias and a fully qualified hostname as the host. Note that the hostname you use cannot be the group name or the hostname of any of your Terminal Servers.
  3. Create an "A" record for each Terminal Server's IP address using the hostname you used to create the CNAME record in step 2. Be sure NOT to select the Create Associated PTR Record check box.
  4. Create an "A" record for each Terminal Server using its hostname and IP address. Be sure to select the Create Associated PTR Record check box.
When the Terminal Server Client is started, it will query the DNS server for the group name. The DNS server will return the CNAME record along with the "A" records from each Host.

The client will then send a reverse lookup to DNS for each of the "A" records it received and will display each Terminal Server's hostname in the Available Servers window. If the address cannot be resolved, the IP address is displayed.

MORE INFORMATION

Sample DNS zone file: 
Database file sam.ple.dns for sam.ple zone.

   ;      Zone version:  7l

   @                       IN   SOA   sam.ple.bar admin@sam.ple   (
                           7           ; serial number
                           3600        ; refresh
                           600         ; retry
                           86400       ; expire
                           3600      ) ; minimum TTL
   @                       IN   NS   dns.sam.ple.
   dns                     IN   A   172.64.4.1
   WTS1                    IN   A   172.64.4.10
   WTS2                    IN   A   172.64.4.4
   WTS                     IN   CNAME   TS
   TS                      IN   A   172.64.4.4
                           IN   A   172.64.4.10
Sample DNS reverse lookup zone file: 
   Database file 64.172.in-addr.arpa.dns for 64.172.in-addr.arpa zone.
   ;      Zone version:  2l
   @                       IN   SOA   dns.sam.ple.   admin.sam.ple.   (
                           2           ; serial number
                           3600        ; refresh
                           600         ; retry
                           86400       ; expire
                           3600      ) ; minimum TTL

   @                       IN   NS   dns.sam.ple.
   1.4                     IN   PTR   dns.sam.ple.
   10.4                    IN   PTR   WTS1.sam.ple.
   4.4                     IN   PTR   WTS2.sam.ple.

Keywords: kbinfo KB191985


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