WINS updated for Windows Server 2003

The Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) has several key updates that administrators should be aware of for Windows Server 2003. WINS enables computers to register and resolve NetBIOS names. It is maintained primarily for backward compatibility with early versions of Windows (including Windows 95, Windows 98 and NT) that used it for computer name resolution, as well as for networks running Windows 2000 or later that don't have Active Directory directory service deployed and thus don't require DNS. On most large networks, WINS is needed to support Windows 95, Windows 98 and NT computers.

On most networks that use WINS, you'll want to configure at least two WINS servers for name resolution. When there are multiple WINS servers, you can configure replication of database entries between the servers. Replication allows for fault tolerance and load balancing by ensuring that entries in one server's database are replicated to its replication partners. These replication partners can then handle renewal and release requests from clients as if they held the primary registration in the first place.

Here is a list of the key WINS updates in Windows Server 2003:

  1.  

  2. Persistent connections. In a standard configuration, replication partners establish and release connections each time they replicate WINS database changes. With persistent connections, replication

    Requires Free Membership to View

    Login

  1. partners can be configured to maintain a persistent connection. This reduces the overhead associated with opening and closing connections and speeds up the replication process.

     

  2. Automatic replication partners. This update allows WINS to automatically configure itself for replication with other WINS servers. To do this, WINS sends periodic multicast messages to announce its availability. These messages are addressed to the WINS multicast group address (224.0.1.24). Any other WINS servers on the network that are listening for datagrams sent on this group address can receive and process the automatic replication request. Once replication is set up with multicast partners, the partners use standard replication with either persistent or nonpersistent connections.

     

  3. Manual tombstoning lets admins mark records for deletion. A record marked for deletion is said to be tombstoned. This state is then replicated to a WINS server's replication partners, which prevents the record from being re-created on a replication partner and then being replicated back to the original server on which it was marked for deletion.

     

  4. The record export

About the author: Rahul Shah currently works at a software firm in India, where he is a systems administrator maintaining Windows servers.

More information on this topic:


This was first published in July 2006

Join the conversationComment

Share
Comments

    Results

    Contribute to the conversation

    All fields are required. Comments will appear at the bottom of the article.

    Disclaimer: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.

    Back to top