Resolve queries for non-Managed Microsoft AD objects
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This topic shows you how to configure DNS forwarding so that queries from a
Google Cloud authorized network for Active Directory resources located
in another domain succeed.
Context
When using a Google Cloud VM domain-joined to Managed Microsoft AD,
if you try to look up users or objects that are not located on the same VPC
network, the search fails. It fails because the default Windows configuration
does not forward the query to the Managed Microsoft AD domain. Instead, it
uses the DNS server for the VPC where the VM is located. This DNS server does
not have information about Managed Microsoft AD users and objects outside the
VPC network, so the lookup fails.
DNS forwarding is useful in any case where you need to resolve
resources located outside the VPC network from Google Cloud. For
example, if the Managed Microsoft AD domain has a trust relationship with the
target domain, this configuration is required.
Before you begin
Before you begin, verify the following configurations.
The Google Cloud VM must be domain-joined to the
Managed Microsoft AD domain.
The forwarding target name server is reachable from within your VPC network.
You can test that it is reachable with the following steps:
If you are using private DNS forwarding, there are a few additional
prerequisites.
Your on-premises firewall must pass queries from Cloud DNS. To allow
this, configure the firewall to allow Cloud DNS queries from the
35.199.192.0/19 IP address range on UDP port 53 or TCP port 53. If you are
using multiple Cloud Interconnect connections or VPN tunnels, be sure
that the firewall allows traffic for all of them.
Your on-premises network must have a route that directs traffic destined to
35.199.192.0/19 back to your VPC network.
Target domain is not on a VPC network
To configure DNS forwarding from Google Cloud to an on-premises domain
that is not on a VPC network, you should use a forwarding zone. Learn about
DNS forwarding zones.
To create a forwarding zone that resolves the on-premises DNS name to the IP
addresses of on-premises DNS servers, complete the following steps.
To configure DNS forwarding from Google Cloud to a self-managed domain
that is on a VPC network,
follow the steps for Cloud DNS
that are relevant for your configuration.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-28 UTC."],[],[],null,["# Resolve queries for non-Managed Microsoft AD objects\n\nThis topic shows you how to configure DNS forwarding so that queries from a\nGoogle Cloud authorized network for Active Directory resources located\nin another domain succeed.\n\nContext\n-------\n\nWhen using a Google Cloud VM domain-joined to Managed Microsoft AD,\nif you try to look up users or objects that are not located on the same VPC\nnetwork, the search fails. It fails because the default Windows configuration\ndoes not forward the query to the Managed Microsoft AD domain. Instead, it\nuses the DNS server for the VPC where the VM is located. This DNS server does\nnot have information about Managed Microsoft AD users and objects outside the\nVPC network, so the lookup fails.\n\nDNS forwarding is useful in any case where you need to resolve\nresources located outside the VPC network from Google Cloud. For\nexample, if the Managed Microsoft AD domain has a trust relationship with the\ntarget domain, this configuration is required.\n\nBefore you begin\n----------------\n\nBefore you begin, verify the following configurations.\n\n- The Google Cloud VM must be domain-joined to the\n Managed Microsoft AD domain.\n\n- The forwarding target name server is reachable from within your VPC network.\n You can test that it is reachable with the following steps:\n\n ### Console\n\n Before you begin, verify that the\n [Network Management API](https://console.cloud.google.com/marketplace/product/google/networkmanagement.googleapis.com)\n is enabled.\n 1. Go to the\n [**Connectivity Tests**](https://console.cloud.google.com/net-intelligence/connectivity/tests)\n page in the Google Cloud console.\n\n\n [Go to the Connectivity Tests page](https://console.cloud.google.com/net-intelligence/connectivity/tests)\n\n 2. Create and run a Connectivity Test with the following values:\n\n - **Protocol**: TCP\n - **Source**: IP address from your Google Cloud VPC\n - **Destination**: IP address of your on-premises DNS server\n - **Destination port**: 53\n\n Learn more about creating and running\n [Network Connectivity Tests](/network-intelligence-center/docs/connectivity-tests/how-to/running-connectivity-tests).\n\n ### PowerShell\n\n In Windows PowerShell, run the following command: \n\n ```\n nslookup domain-name dns-server-ip\n ```\n\n Learn more about\n [`nslookup`](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/nslookup).\n\nIf your target is an on-premises domain, verify the following firewall\nconfiguration.\n\n- The firewall must be configured to allow users from the Managed Microsoft AD domain to access on-premises resources. Learn about [firewall configurations for accessing on-premises resources](/managed-microsoft-ad/docs/firewalls#accessing_on-premises_active_directory_resources_from).\n\nIf you are using private DNS forwarding, there are a few additional\nprerequisites.\n\n- Your on-premises firewall must pass queries from Cloud DNS. To allow\n this, configure the firewall to allow Cloud DNS queries from the\n 35.199.192.0/19 IP address range on UDP port 53 or TCP port 53. If you are\n using multiple Cloud Interconnect connections or VPN tunnels, be sure\n that the firewall allows traffic for all of them.\n\n- Your on-premises network must have a route that directs traffic destined to\n 35.199.192.0/19 back to your VPC network.\n\nTarget domain is not on a VPC network\n-------------------------------------\n\nTo configure DNS forwarding from Google Cloud to an on-premises domain\nthat is not on a VPC network, you should use a forwarding zone. Learn about\n[DNS forwarding zones](/dns/docs/zones/zones-overview#forwarding_zones).\n\nTo create a forwarding zone that resolves the on-premises DNS name to the IP\naddresses of on-premises DNS servers, complete the following steps. \n\n### Console\n\n1. Go to the\n [**Cloud DNS**](https://console.cloud.google.com/networking/dns/zones/) page in the\n Google Cloud console.\n\n\n [Go to the Cloud DNS page](https://console.cloud.google.com/networking/dns/zones/)\n\n2. Create a DNS zone with the following values:\n\n - **Zone type** : **Private**\n - **DNS name**: Target DNS name\n - **Options** : **Forward queries to another server**\n - **Destination DNS servers**: IP addresses of target DNS servers\n\nLearn more about\n[creating DNS forwarding zones](/dns/zones#creating-forwarding-zones).\n\n### gcloud\n\nTo create a new managed private forwarding zone, you should use the\n[dns managed-zones create](/sdk/gcloud/reference/dns/managed-zones/create)\ncommand: \n\n```\ngcloud dns managed-zones create name \\\n --description=description \\\n --dns-name=on-premises-dns-name \\\n --forwarding-targets=on-premises-dns-ip-addresses \\\n --visibility=private\n```\n\nLearn more about\n[creating DNS forwarding zones](/dns/zones#creating-forwarding-zones).\n\nTarget domain is on a VPC network\n---------------------------------\n\nTo configure DNS forwarding from Google Cloud to a self-managed domain\nthat is on a VPC network,\n[follow the steps for Cloud DNS](/dns/docs/zones/zones-overview#forwarding_zones)\nthat are relevant for your configuration."]]
