Question : Windows Server 2008 Server as DC with DNS service; DNS server does not start.

Windows 2008 Server as DC with DNS service; DNS server does not start.

It actually takes about 5-8 minutes after server boots before the DNS server starts responding to queries. I am able to logon the server, have the desktop come up and server manager opens. I then click Roles | DNS Server | local machine and a red X is ove the DNS server. After about 5-8 minutes the red X goes away and all the zones are then loaded.

I am running a mixed domain with 3 Windows 2008 DC's and 1 Windows 2003 DC. All DC's except 1 of the 2008 servers are GC's. If I reboot the 2003 server DNS starts normally.

Thanks in advance.

Answer : Windows Server 2008 Server as DC with DNS service; DNS server does not start.

If all DCs are GCs and in a single domain environment it doesn't matter

See bullet 1 here:

http://adisfun.blogspot.com/2009/04/lessons-learned-from-eric-fleischman.html

I  wonder if you are running into a classic race condition (that is why I'd look at the logs).  Can you point it to another box as primary and itself as secondary and see if that helps the next time you reboot.

Thanks

Mike