Chapter 30. Network Name Resolution


Chapter 30. Network Name Resolution

SOME OF THE MAIN TOPICS IN THIS CHAPTER ARE

Hardware Versus Protocol Addresses

NetBIOS

Installing and Configuring WINS on Windows 2000/2003 Servers

TCP / IP Names

Installing DNS on a Windows 2000 or 2003 Server

Network Information Service

Computers use hardware addresses when exchanging data on the local subnet. These addresses are burned into the network adapter and are often referred to as MAC (Media Access Control) addresses. MAC addresses produce a flat address space, so network protocols, such as IP, are typically used to create a hierarchical address space. However, for humans , both MAC and IP addresses (or IPX/SPX addresses, for that matter) are difficult to remember. Names are convenient for use by humans who have to operate computers. So, besides identifying a computer or network device using a protocol address, it's also important to be able to give a name to a computer, a network device, or a service, and then have that name resolved to the address so that data communications can take place on the network.

Understanding how name resolution works on your network will better prepare you to troubleshoot the problems users encounter when trying to locate resources.

This chapter deals with standard name resolution techniques ranging from the simple LMHOSTS files to the Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) for NetBIOS names and HOSTS files and the Domain Name System (DNS) service for IP names. For most networks, such as those that have Unix, Linux, or Windows computers, the name resolution methods described in this chapter will suffice. However, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003 ”when deployed using the Active Directory ”adds a whole new dimension to name resolution. The Active Directory stores objects that can represent everything from a user account to a resource on the network, such as a computer or a printer. In a similar fashion, Novell Directory Service ”NDS, now called the eDirectory ”is a directory-based solution for locating resources on the network. If you employ Windows 2000 Servers in your network, you might find the next chapter, "Using the Active Directory," to be an important resource. If your network is NetWare-based, Chapter 33, "Overview of the Novell Bindery and Novell Directory Services," and Chapter 34, "Expanding and Enhancing NDS: NetWare's eDirectory," will provide more detailed coverage of these technologies.

Note

The Active Directory and the eDirectory can be used to quickly locate resources on the network. They take the concept of name resolution farther down the road, however, in that you can locate a resource by using its name as well as by specifying attributes of the resource you need to use. For example, if you don't know the name of a printer, directory servers enable you to specify search criteria to locate a resource. For a printer, for example, you can specify that it be a color printer, be located in a particular location, and even such things as whether it prints in duplex mode or has three-hole paper installed.

Another important factor to consider when using a directory service is that it is not a replacement for the name resolution techniques described in this chapter . This is easy to understand when you consider that that, in a Windows 2000/.NET environment, a client computer uses a DNS entry to locate a domain controller so that it can authenticate itself to the network before it can even begin to use the Active Directory.

For Unix/Linux systems, the upgrade path from the older HOSTS file was Sun's Network Information System (NIS), which was formerly called Yellow Pages, until trademark issues forced a name change. Therefore, you'll find both NIS commands as well as commands that start with the letters yp on some Unix systems. Today there is a growing movement to move authentication and other information to an LDAP-based directory server. A number of LDAP-enabled directory servers can be used with different operating system platforms, and a quick search on the Internet can reveal a lot of information. In addition, there's an open source version of an LDAP server that you can review at http://www.openldap.org. For a basic overview of LDAP, see Appendix D, "The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol."

When working in a multiprotocol environment, there are several ways in which you can create a single namespace using an LDAP-enabled directory to provide a single directory service for Windows, Unix, Linux, and NetWare clients . You'll find a discussion of these topics and the utilities that can help you get there in Part XI, "Migration and Integration," later in this book.



Upgrading and Repairing Networks
Upgrading and Repairing Networks (5th Edition)
ISBN: 078973530X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 434

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