Add a Reverse Lookup Zone on a DNS Server – Windows Server 2008 R2

Reverse lookup zones support the resolution of IP addresses to host names. Although they are optional in most networks, reverse lookup zones might be necessary for certain secure applications that require the validation of IP addresses.

Although adding a reverse lookup zone in Domain Name System (DNS) is similar in many respects to creating a forward lookup zone, there are some important differences:

• One important difference is that a reverse lookup zone is always a subdomain of either the in-addr.arpa domain (which supports reverse lookups for IP version 4 (IPv4) addresses) or the ip6.arpa domain (which supports reverse lookups for IP version 6 (IPv6) addresses).
• Another important difference is that the subdomain name is constructed from the address of the subnet that contains the range of addresses for which the reverse lookup zone is responsible. When you create the reverse lookup zone, you specify this address in a particular format so that it can be recognized by the DNS server as pertaining to the address in a reverse lookup query.

 

Adding a Reverse lookup zones:

To open DNS Manager, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS:

Right-click a Reverse Lookup Zones  under Domain Name System (DNS) server, and then click New Zone to open the New Zone Wizard:

Click Next:

Select type of zone and click next:

Select zone data replicate and click next:

The next screen will ask whether the reverse lookup zone should be for IPv4 or IPv6. Choose the appropriate one and select Next. If both are needed, you will have to configure separately:

Now enter the network ID for the zone. This screen will differ if an IPv6 reverse zone is chosen. Enter the network ID and select Next:

Select type of dynamic updates and click Next:

Click Finish to complete creation of Reverse Lookup Zone: