Installing and Configuring WINS


Installing the WINS -service on your Windows Server 2003 computer is just as simple and straightforward as the two network services (DHCP and DNS) you have previously installed.

To install the WINS service, follow the instructions provided in Step by Step 4.1.

Exam Alert: Managing Windows Server 2003 Services

The Step by Step examples use a utility called the WINS console. It is important to note that this manager is nothing more than the Microsoft Management Console with the WINS management snap-in installed. Microsoft creates these versions of the Microsoft Management Console to enable new users of Windows Server 2003 to more easily manage their systems. Thus, don't be confused if you see references to the Microsoft Management Console in the exam. That's all the WINS manager is.


Step By Step

4.1. Installing the Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS)

1.

Log on to Windows Server 2003 using the Administrator account or another account that has administrator privileges.

2.

Open the Control Panel and then open the Add/Remove Programs applet. The Add or Remove Programs dialog box appears, as seen in Figure 4.1.

Figure 4.1. The Add or Remove Programs dialog box provides useful information about installed applications, including application size and, in some cases, the frequency of use of an installed application.


3.

Click Add/Remove Windows Components on the left side of the Add or Remove Programs dialog box. The Windows Components Wizard -dialog box appears, as seen in Figure 4.2.

Figure 4.2. The Windows Components Wizard allows you to install, remove, or configure the various components of Windows Server 2003.


4.

Select Networking Services and click Details. The Networking Services dialog box, shown in Figure 4.3, appears. Select Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) and then click OK.

Figure 4.3. On the Networking Services screen, you need to select WINS and click OK.


5.

On the next screen that appears, click Next to complete the installation. The Windows Component Wizard prompts you for the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM if it needs to copy files.

6.

When the wizard is finished, it displays a summary of the changes to be made. Click Finish to complete the installation.

Note: DHCP and the WINS Service

If, for some reason, you have your Windows Server 2003 computer configured to use DHCP addressing, you will receive a message from the installation process indicating that the WINS service should be installed only on a server with a static address. The Local Area Connection Properties dialog box will open to enable you to correct the issue. Microsoft includes this message because it is actually a very bad idea to put WINS (or any other network service) on a dynamically addressed server.

You shouldn't let your WINS server use a dynamic address, because the address might change one day. If that occurs, all your users will lose access to the server because the addresses used to point at the WINS server are configured statically. The same is true for a DNS server, a DHCP server, a domain controller, and so on, as we discussed earlier in Chapter 1, "Configuring and Troubleshooting TCP/IP Addressing."


Congratulationsyou just installed WINS. Keep in mind that you still need to configure your client computers to use the new server, but the server portion of the install is complete.

Now that WINS is installed, let's look at configuring it.

Configuring WINS

Several properties can be configured in the Windows Internet Naming Service. They can be accessed by opening the WINS console, as seen in Figure 4.4.

Figure 4.4. The WINS console is used for all configurations for the WINS service.


You can open the WINS console by clicking Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, WINS. To access a WINS server's Properties dialog box, simply select it, right-click it, and select Properties from the context menu. The WINS server Properties dialog box will open to the General tab, as discussed next.

The General Tab

The General tab, shown in Figure 4.5, is used to configure statistics and backups for the WINS server. You can use this tab to configure the automatic update of WINS statistics and the interval at which they update from this tab. You also can configure the default backup path for the WINS database and enable the automatic backup of the database when the server is shut down; the latter is an administrative task that is highly recommended.

Note: Should I Back Up?

You should configure the WINS backup paths to a network share; this configuration ensures the maximum fault tolerance for the WINS database in case the server doesn't come back up.


The Intervals Tab

The Intervals tab, shown in Figure 4.6, is used to set the WINS database records renewal, deletion, and verification intervals.

Figure 4.5. The General tab is used for configuring statistics and backups for the WINS database.


Figure 4.6. In most networks, the default intervals are usually adequate for a stable WINS environment.


You can set the following intervals:

  • Renew Interval Determines the frequency of record renewal.

  • Extinction Interval Determines the length of time before a released record is considered extinct.

  • Extinction Timeout Determines the length of time after a record has been marked as extinct before it is removed from the database.

  • Verification Interval Determines the frequency at which database records are verified for accuracy.

When a record is deleted from WINS, the server will actually Tombstone it, which is to mark it locally as extinct and release it from active use by that local WINS server. The Tombstoned record is then replicated to all other WINS servers configured to replicate with that local WINS server, thus applying that Tombstoned status to other WINS servers. When the verification interval has passed, the WINS servers can then automatically remove the record from the WINS database.

The Database Verification Tab

The Database Verification tab, seen in Figure 4.7, enables you to configure the verification parameters associated with the WINS database. You can enable database verification for a specific interval. The default interval is 24 hours; thus, if enabled, the database consistency will be verified once a day. You also specify the time to begin the consistency check, the number of database records to check for each period, as well as the source against which to verify the database. You can verify database consistency against owner servers (these are the servers from which the record being verified was replicated) or randomly selected partner servers. Although disabled by default, it is highly recommended that you configure database verification for your WINS databases.

Figure 4.7. Ensuring the consistency of the WINS database is critical to a stable WINS environment.


The Advanced Tab

The Advanced tab, shown in Figure 4.8, is used to configure the remaining WINS parameters, including the following:

  • Logging You can enable detailed event logging for troubleshooting WINS when there are problems. The entries are written to the System log and, if left on too long, can cause this log to fill up and become less useful in troubleshooting and monitoring.

  • Burst handling You can configure the load that can be put on the server by specifying the number of WINS requests that the server will accept before returning a retry message. This can be set to Low, Medium, High, or Custom, which enables you to specify several connections.

  • Database path This is the path for the WINS database. If you have fault-tolerant drives in your server, be sure that the WINS database is located on one of them.

  • Database version number You should not need to modify this parameter, but the starting version number is used for consistency purposes. By giving each version of the database an incrementing version number, Windows Server 2003 is capable of comparing two WINS databases and determining which one is the most recent. DNS uses a similar mechanism for synchronizing its tables.

  • LAN Manager compatibility You can also set WINS to use LAN Manager-compatible computer names so that any legacy LAN Manager installations can still use WINS for name resolution

Exam Alert: Burst Mode

First introduced to WINS in Windows 2000 Server, burst mode provides a means to allow many clients to simultaneously attempt to register their records. Changing the setting seen in Figure 4.8 changes the size of the burst queue, which determines how many name registration and refresh requests are received by the WINS server before burst mode is initiated.

When burst mode is in effect, additional client requests are answered with a positive response by the WINS server immediately. This immediate response also includes a variable TTL (time to live) value, which then forces the clients to contact the WINS server again at a more controlled rate.


That covers the basic installation and configuration of a WINS server. Let's look at configuring WINS replication between two WINS servers.

Figure 4.8. The Advanced tab is the catchall for the remaining WINS parameters and contains some important parameters for troubleshooting and load regulating.





MCSA(s)MCSE 70-291(c) Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
MCSA/MCSE 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure (Exam Prep)
ISBN: 0789736497
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 196
Authors: Will Schmied

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