Server Management - Systems Insight Manager
1833761 Members
2691 Online
110063 Solutions
New Discussion

Re: DNS Problems + How Do I Make SIM Use Full DNS Names And Not IP?

 
G L_1
Advisor

DNS Problems + How Do I Make SIM Use Full DNS Names And Not IP?

Hello,

I don't know whats wrong. I don't know if its my DNS server or not, but most of the time when SIM refers to something, it uses IP addresses and not the Full DNS name.

I know its not the System Link Configuration tab in the Options Menu in SIM because I already set that to use full DNS names.

But when i go to some system pages such as that for an iLO. the Full DNS name part is blank, but hte IP address is there so SIM often refers to those pages with the IP Address.

The same thing happens with my ESX Servers. WHen I put on ESX 2.1 onto servers, the console screen often says to refer to http:/// to manage the server. When I punch that into a browser, it doens't work. When i use the IP address it does.

I think in essense, this all boils down to a DNS issue. I'm not entirely familiar with full details of how to configure a DNS, so can anyone out there help me out? How do I configure a DNS server step by step? This is a test environment so any name like x.com for a zone is fine.

I just want this DNS to work properly so SIM is able to recognizes Full DNS names and all these issues solved. THanks alot. I know its asking quite a bit but it would be greatly appreciated.
7 REPLIES 7
G L_1
Advisor

Re: DNS Problems + How Do I Make SIM Use Full DNS Names And Not IP?

I am also aware of a hosts file in the system32 directory. In the past, some people suggested that I should add entries there.
But why? Why won't the DNS server just add the DNS + IP pairings automatically?

Anyways, I still would appreciate a step by step setup of a DNS server. Thanks alot.

I'm planning on turning the DNS server into a virtual machine in the end as well. But at the moment I will deploy it onto a server, then just use P2V tool to convert to VM in the future.
David Claypool
Honored Contributor

Re: DNS Problems + How Do I Make SIM Use Full DNS Names And Not IP?

Without knowing a lot more about your environment it would be difficult to make recommendations. A good starting point would be the DNS HOWTO at http://www.faqs.org/docs/Linux-HOWTO/DNS-HOWTO.html or there actually is a "DNS for Dummies" book from that series.
G L_1
Advisor

Re: DNS Problems + How Do I Make SIM Use Full DNS Names And Not IP?

My environment is a basic one. Its isolated in a test environment.

4 BL20Ps
3 BL30Ps
1 Bl40P

1 DL585 - CMS with SIM + RDP

my BL40P has esx server on it with some VM's that have DHCP and Active Directory on them.

I guess I do have a current DNS server set up automatically from the Active Directory set up but thats about it.

Quite basic.
David Claypool
Honored Contributor

Re: DNS Problems + How Do I Make SIM Use Full DNS Names And Not IP?

With AD running, you probably chose the function "Allow only secure updates" on your DNS server when you installed it. That means you will have to manually enter your ESX server by going to Start --> Administrative Tools --> DNS and entering information for both the forward and reverse lookup zones.

Re: DNS Problems + How Do I Make SIM Use Full DNS Names And Not IP?

As far as I know, SIM discovers each device using their ip address. When it populates its database with devices names a reverse lookup is needed. Do you have reverse lookup zones defined at your dns? If not only a manual discovery could fill the database with full dns names.
G L_1
Advisor

Re: DNS Problems + How Do I Make SIM Use Full DNS Names And Not IP?

I'm not sure, how do you deploy a reverse lookup zone?

I need a brief step by step approach into setting one up.

It will be set up in a W2K3 EE environment.

thanks. =)

Re: DNS Problems + How Do I Make SIM Use Full DNS Names And Not IP?

You should connect to your dns and add a New Zone under the "reverse lookup zone" tab.
When asked for a NetWork ID, give the wizard the first numers of your IP network, for instance 192.168.0 for a typical 192.168.0.X network.
The zone can be populated manually or allowing your servers nic's to automatically update their dns.
Having this zone active, a nslookup query of "server_name" has to answer an IP and a query of an IP has to answer the same "server_name"