Single Label domain names

Question

Greetz!
I would like clarification on Single Label Domain names in SP 2013 web applications.
When I set up my A record I can set the Name, FQDN and IP Address. If I leave Name blank it will use whatever is in the FQDN?When I enter the FQDN I should use something like "Company.Local" or "SP.Company.Local" and not "Company"
When I set up my root Web Application, I will use the FQDN that I gave in the A record and I will not leave the ":80" on the end of it.
My intention is to setup a single web application and run HNSCs off the default zone. I will use Windows Authentication with basic Kerberos. I'll have a root site collection but we won't be using it.
Am I thinking straight about avoiding the use of single label domain names?
Thanks!
Love them all...regardless. - Buddha

Answer 1

"Single Label Domain names" has specific meaning and that applies to Active Directory (SLDs are not supported by SharePoint).
You will want to use an FQDN as your Host-Named Site Collections will be present underneath the root domain (e.g. if you create a Web Application using "root.company.com", your sites will be "portal.company.com", "teams.company.com",
as a couple of examples). Your Web Application will be created without a host name (see PowerShell example here: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc424952.aspx#section2).
Your "root.company.com", in my example, with be a path-based Site Collection as the "Root" Site Collection, which is required for all SharePoint Web Apps. That is described here: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc424952.aspx#section2b.
They use the WFE URL, but I prefer using the FQDN.
Another advantage of using FQDNs + SSL is that you don't have two different URLs for internal and external access, thus SharePoint Alerts will always have the correct URL, etc.
Trevor Seward
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This post is my own opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinion or view of Microsoft, its employees, or other MVPs.