Wins Server - Is it needed?

[markus97]

Hello everyone?

I have some noobish questions here.

What systems and operating systems have netbios? I believe the only operating systems that use it is win 95/98/nt.

If theres a network with servers and workstations, all running windows 2000/xp/2003, is a wins server on the network even necesarry?

My other question is, in WINS, what does a "Tombstoned" state mean under the records?

Thank You

 

[chipk]

All Windows systems use NetBIOS.

A WINS server is usually good to have if you have multiple segments on your network (i.e. different IP address ranges) because NetBIOS names are resolved either through broadcast, hosts/lmhosts, or WINS. Some Microsoft services are depentent on WINS, and honestly, it doesn't take much to set up a WINS server, so I'd just do it.

If a record is tombstoned, it means that computer has been off for a while and the record is "old" and just waiting to be removed from the database, usually after replication. If you have only one WINS server, then there's no replication. Anyway, see these articles for more details:

(Pretty exhaustive)

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/operations/wins.mspx

(Re: tombstoning)

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windo...8d31-491d-a19d-5568cecf9b601033.mspx?mfr=true

 

[Grenage]

It's not necessary, it's personal preference. I don't hate WINS resolution; we now only use DNS, with one domain controller on each remote subnet and sever on the main network.

Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[WhoKilledKenny]

Exchange 2000 and 2003 still required it. Not sure about Exchange 2007.

 

[GotNoClue]

To WhoKilledKenny - is this true even is Exch2003 is in native mode? Also, do you know why Exchange requires it?

Just curious here. Thx

 

[WhoKilledKenny]

Here you go...

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/837391

 

[DThornton123]

We're running a non netbios/wins network. AD 2003 native and it was set up initially without these services.

Everything is on the same subnet. The only issue we've noticed is that network neighborhood doesn't work - a security feature

 

[GlenJohnson]

How many clients. Name resolution through lmhosts file can take the place of a wins server if there is only a few clients. I'm from the old school, and still find hosts and lmhosts to be very useful, not to mention easy to use.

Glen A. Johnson
If you like fun and sun, check out Tek-Tips Florida Forum
Don't forget to Buckle up. It works.

 

[BenyG]

It is a preference usually - 2003 should use DNS all the time in a 2000+ environment but friends of mine state that there are still lookups when there should not be.

Using WINS can also be more reliable than DNS dynamic update as you do not have to worry about tweaking scavenging settings etc.



Benjamin

 

[wchull]

We are running WINS in our shop as well. One thing we have done is to setup DNS to use WINS by setting up a domain in DNS called wins.MyDomain.com. When you set this domain up you simply tell this domains to go seach the WINS database. We then placed this domain at the very end of our domain suffix seach order list (DSSO) and clients can enter the device name only and DNS will try to resolve the address with all domains in DNS in the DSSO but if it reaches the WINS domain it will make one last attempt to find the address by searching the WINS database. In our environment all devices are supposed to be registered in DNS automatically but if the device is not joined to a domain you run into situations were it won't get registered. WINS in my opinion is helpful to have around.

 

[dtrtel]

Browsing can be irritating in some situations. With
multiple subnets, non-trusting DCs, and unregistered
clients seem to cause most of the problem I've seen.
Wins with proxy between subnets seems to get around
most of these in my experience. But I'm not an MCSE.

--jeff

http://linkedin.com/in/JeffLynch