DNS and VMmark

[tbjs]

I am setting up VMmark for the first time, and I am having trouble understanding the dns setup. When configuring the mail server as a domain controller, the instructions tell you to enter the DNS name for the new domain, saying "this should be the FQDN in the format "mailserverN.yourcompany.com". So am I to assume this is my dns domain suffix? If so, why does only client0 follow this convention in the sample hosts file: client0.mailserver0.yourcompany.com, while all other are in the format "server.yourcompany.com" ? Maybe there is a difference in the concept of "domain" between active directory and dns?

FYI, I have completed the setup, but when I kick off the benchmark it fails trying to ping the server names (webserver0, mailserver0, etc) I am sure there is something wrong with my dns setup, so that is why I am trying to understand what I am looking at. Admittedly, I have not used Windows much, so AD and Exchange are a mystery to me.

Thanks,

Tom

[mkats]

Good question. I am also setting up vmmark for the first time. I have just about completed my first tile and the same question has been lingering in the back of mind.

[jamesz08]

The DNS is really only needed for the mailserver workload. You should populate a hosts file containing all your hostnames/IPs to resolve the remaining workload hostnames.

You shouldn't need to modify anything in the DNS configuration, the default/automatic install when you install AD should work. mailserver0.yourcompany.com is the FQDN for THAT domain.

[tbjs]

Thanks James. I actually populated the host file last week and was able to get this working, just had no time to reply.