Can Active Directory and Novell DNS share a domain name???

[TechieChick]

Hi all,
We have a mixed network... Primarily Novell (everyone logs into NDS) with various Microsoft apps and SQL servers. We are currently running DNS on Novell. We are going to be installing our first Active Directory Domain this month. If I follow the microsoft "best practices" for the domain, I'll end up naming it what our Novell DNS is using is using for a domain name. The domain name in question is also what we have have registered in the internet world and is used by the corporate webserver. My question is this:
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Thanks for the help!!

P.S.: I know this is a re-post and i am very sorry, but i really need an answer quick!
Thanks!

[corturbra]

Hi Tina,

I think its recommended that the DNS Domain is the same as the Active Directory. See the article at the following link for more info.

It also gives some links to Microsoft as well.

http://support.novell.com/cgi-bin/se...?/10061330.htm

John

[rl.cohen]

My understanding is that using your Internet DNS Domain as your Active Directory (AD) Domain is not a good idea, but I'm afraid I can't recall the reasoning. In the case of the organisation I work for, the public DNS name is sbic.co.za, whereas sbicdirectory.com was chosen to be the AD DNS name. The "private" DNS name has, however, been registered.

[rl.cohen]

Here's the reasoning behind keeping the Intranet and Internet DNS Namespaces separate, taken from our design documents. This is an AD-only site, however, i.e. no eDirectory/NDS.

-- clip --

It is a common recommendation that a company uses different DNS namespaces for its intranet/AD environment and its Internet presence. This has the following advantages:
· If the internal namespace is kept on internal DNS servers only, and not replicated to any Internet-accessible servers, security will be enhanced, as internal resources will not be advertised to the Internet.
· Maintenance of zone files will be simplified, as it will be unnecessary to duplicate records between internal and external zones; they will exist in one or the other.
· Configuration of proxy settings on client computers will be simplified, as they will easily be able to differentiate between resources on the Internet (accessed through the proxy) and those on the intranet (bypassing the proxy).

-- clip --