How To Find A Forwarding Address For Free

When y'all install DNS Server role in Windows surroundings, you will be able to create new zones in either Forward or Opposite Lookup Zones. These ii zones serves a different purpose. The first one and the most commonly implemented is Forrard Lookup Zones, where translations of a hostname string to IP accost is performed. The 2nd 1 is Reverse Lookup Zones where information technology does the opposite of the sometime. Agreement Forward and Reverse Lookup Zones in DNS is the key to successful configuration and helps ensure proper implementation of a DNS server.

Understanding Frontwards and Reverse Lookup Zones in DNS

It is of import to sympathize how DNS records are stored before understanding Forward and Contrary Lookup Zones in DNS. The table below shows an example of how records being stored in a DNS server:

Name	Information
AS-DCO001.mustbegeek.com	192.168.0.7
As-DNS001.mustbegeek.com	192.168.0.5
example.mustbegeek.com	192.168.0.6

On the higher up table, nosotros tin can come across that DNS server stores record containing a hostname string value under column "Name" along with its associated IP address value under column "Data".

Forward Lookup

When a DNS query comes from the client, DNS server works by looking up the hostname string value on column "Proper noun" then returns the IP address value on cavalcade "Data" equally the answer to the query. This process can be illustrated using the below figure:

So for case client asks "What is IP address for AS-DCO001.mustbegeek.com?" on its query. The DNS server then lookup at the value on column "Data" where "Name" value equals to AS-DCO001.mustbegeek.com, and this resulting in address 192.168.0.7 as the answer. The process of finding an IP address based on the hostname in DNS is chosen forrard lookup.

Reverse Lookup

Now the problem comes when it is required to find out the hostname based on the IP address, for instance the client asks "What hostname is using IP address 192.168.0.7?". Unfortunately, it is a limitation by design that DNS server cannot just lookup at the value on "Data" cavalcade to find the associated "Proper noun" value. For this purpose, another record should exist created in the table where IP accost value is stored under "Name" cavalcade and the hostname string is stored under "Data" column. The updated tabular array for this purpose is shown below:

Proper noun	Data
As-DCO001.mustbegeek.com	192.168.0.7
Equally-DNS001.mustbegeek.com	192.168.0.5
case.mustbegeek.com	192.168.0.6
192.168.0.7	As-DCO001.mustbegeek.com

With this way, DNS server can now answer the above customer query by selecting the value under "Data" column where "Proper noun" value equals to 192.168.0.7, equally illustrated in the below figure:

The lookup resulting in As-DCO001.mustbegeek.com as the respond. Now this procedure of finding hostname based on the IP address in DNS is chosen opposite lookup.

Forwards and Opposite Lookup Zones in Windows DNS Server

The above examples shows DNS lookup process in general. If you install DNS Server role in Windows Server 2012 R2, information technology will split the table used for forrad lookup and reverse lookup, and that's why you will see both Forward Lookup Zones and Reverse Lookup Zones in the DNS Manager.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Forward Lookup Zones contains zones where forward lookup is performed. In other words, the zones in Forrad Lookup Zones stores hostname string under column "Proper noun" and IP accost under cavalcade "Data". For example, the zone mustbegeek.com below is a Frontwards Lookup Zone:

On the opposite, Reverse Lookup Zones contains zones where opposite lookup is performed. In other words, the zones in Reverse Lookup Zones stores IP accost under cavalcade "Name" and hostname string nether column "Data". A reverse lookup zone usually has name format x.ten.x.in-addr.arpa, where x.x.x is the first three octets of the IP address in reversed lodge. For case, the zone 0.168.192.in-addr.arpa below is a Reverse Lookup Zone:

Usually, implementing a Forward Lookup Zone is enough. But sometimes there are some applications that requires Reverse Lookup Zone. Having a Reverse Lookup Zone in the network as well onetime helps troubleshooting procedure. Therefore, understanding forward and reverse lookup zones in DNS is important.

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I am IT practitioner in real life with specialization in network and server infrastructure. I accept years of experience in pattern, assay, operation, and optimization of infrastructure solutions for enterprise-scaled network. You tin send me a message on LinkedIn or email to arranda.saputra@outlook.com for further inquiry regarding stuffs that I wrote or opportunity to collaborate in a projection.