DNS question

[Jim Bija]

If my primary DNS server goes down (daemon only, the machine and IP etc is fine) will the secondary take over? It seems some of my machines lag unless the primary DNS server is down, as in the IP is dead. I seem to have some situations where the secondary seems not to take over. I have heard that M$ machines do not act like linux boxes and have a long timeout period before going to secondary DNS servers. Im asking a general DNS question here as to what are the rules (RFC's) of DNS. Im interested in what is propper, not what M$ does with their products. That i can easily find out on my own. Thanks.   Jim.