Reliable DNS and DHCP for Microsoft Active Directory: Protecting and Extending Active Directory Infrastructure With Infoblox Appliances

Microsoft Active Directory (AD) is the distributed directory service and the information hub of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and 2000 Server operating systems. AD provides critical services such as Windows logon, and also supports a wide range of directory services that support Microsoft applications. The most critical network service that Active Directory relies on is The Domain Name System (DNS). DNS services are provided as part of Microsoft Active Directory and are often deployed on Microsoft Domain Controllers (DC's) along with other services, such as print and file sharing. Loss of DNS service results in loss of Microsoft application services (e.g. Windows Domain Logon, Exchange, file & print sharing) and also impacts all non-Microsoft (e.g. Unix) applications that use DNS services.