How do I set up DNS for an intranet web site?

Question

I have a web site running on our local server, 'OBAMA'. In my hosts file on that server, I map engenxt.local to 127.0.0.1, so typing engenxt.local on that machine itself brings up the website.

I would like other machines to access the site via domain name 'engenxt'. On a Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard server, where would I begin, where should I go, and where should I end? I know precious little about DNS, or rather precious nothing, but am a quick study, besides, that is why I'm asking how to do this here.

Episode 2

When I run DNS as Ryan suggests, it says 'the server OBAMA is unavailable. Do I want to add it?' It adds it, and tells me to choose to 'Configure a DNS server' from the actions menu, but nearly all the actions in that menu are disabled.

Solution

If you administer the DNS server that everyone in your office/on your intranet is looking to for name resolution, then you can add a CNAME record to the forward lookup zone that represents your Windows domain, like engenxt CNAME IN obama.domain.local, and there should already be a host record (aka A record) for obama.domain.local in the same zone that points to its IP address.

Tons of companies solve for single label name resolution like that for things like intranet web sites.

Now, the technically best way to do it is to set up a Globalnames zone, but with all due respect it sounds like you should start with the basics.

Comments

[Zach Saucier]

Yes, i should start with the real basics. So where do I create these CNAME and A recordsa? And what is webserver01.domain.local? obama.domain.local seems to make a little more sense.

[Ryan Ries]

Yes, I edited the answer to say obama.domain.local instead. Click the Start Button, go to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS. God speed.

[Zach Saucier]

And then it magically adds it's own A and CNAME records?

[Brennan Neoh]

@BradyKelly nope. Expand Forward Lookup Zone node, then domain.com node and add your A and CNAME record there.