Migrating zone data from another DNS server
Simple DNS Plus can import zone data from other DNS servers which use standard zone and boot files.
Most DNS servers (including Simple DNS Plus) use standard zone files formatted according to the specifications in RFC1035.
RFC1035 also outlines a standard "boot" file format, but there is no requirement to use this format.
(This format was used by earlier version of Simple DNS Plus, but v. 5.0 uses a proprietary format).
BIND (popular DNS server on Unix) version 8 and later use a proprietary "named.conf" file with a different format.
The import function in Simple DNS Plus has a special option to read that format.
Microsoft's DNS server for Windows 2000/2003/2008 Server by default keeps the boot information in the registry and/or active directory.
To import this, first reconfigure the MS DNS server to load from file.
From the MS DNS console, right-click the local server, select "Properties", select the "Advanced" tab, and change the "Load zone data on startup:" setting to "From File".
This will create a "boot" file in the "C:\WINNT\system32\dns" directory.
If you are using Active Directory, you may get a message saying "Boot Method cannot be set - The boot from file option cannot be selected because there are one or more Active Directory integrated zone". In this case you need to check the properties of each zone and change zones of type "Active Directory-integrated" to "Standard...", and then repeat above.
Microsoft's DNS server for Windows NT4 Server by default keeps the boot information in the registry. We have created a small utility to extract this information to a standard boot file. Click here to download this utility (32 kb).
To start the import process, in the Simple DNS Plus main window, click the "Records" button:
In the DNS Records window - select "Import..." from the File menu:
In the Import Wizard dialog, select the "Import a set of Zone Files listed in a DNS server boot / configuration file" option and click the "Next" button:
Select the type of boot / configuration file to import from, enter the location of the file, click the "Next" button, and follow the prompts to complete the import:
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