Siemens V4.0 manual Name Resolution Services

Implementing WINS Name Resolution Services

10.1 Name Resolution Services

Advanced Server WINS with TCP/IP requires a unique IP address and computer name for each computer on the network. Although programs use IP addresses to connect computers, administrators use “friendly” names to connect them. As a result, TCP/IP inter- networks require a name resolution service that converts computer names to IP addresses and IP addresses to computer names.

An IP address is the unique address by which all other TCP/IP devices on the internetwork recognize that computer. For TCP/IP and the Internet, the computer name is the globally known system name, plus a Domain Name System (DNS) domain name.

DNS computer names consist of two parts: a host name and a domain name, which combined form the fully qualified domain name (FQDN).

In contrast, Advanced Server networking components rely on a naming convention known as NetBIOS. In general, NetBIOS computer names consist of a single part. Although NetBIOS names are compatible with DNS host names, both naming conventions should be well distinguished.

On the local network, the computer name is the name that was supplied either during Advanced Server or Windows NT setup. To ensure that both names and IP addresses are unique, a computer using NetBIOS over TCP/IP registers its name and IP address on the network during system startup.

A computer can use one or more of the following methods to ensure accurate NetBIOS name resolution in TCP/IP internetworks:

●Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)

A computer can use WINS if at least one WINS server is available that contains a dynamic database that maps computer names to IP addresses. WINS can be used in conjunction with broadcast name resolution for an internetwork where other name resolution methods are inadequate. As described in the following section, WINS is a NetBIOS over TCP/IP mode of operation defined in RFC 1001/1002 as p-node.

●Broadcast name resolution

A computer also can use broadcast name resolution, which is a NetBIOS over TCP/IP mode of operation defined in RFC 1001/1002 as b-node. This method relies on a computer making IP-level broadcasts to register its name by announcing it on the network. Each computer in the broadcast area is responsible for challenging attempts to register a duplicate name and for responding to name queries for its registered name.

Product Manual U7613-J-Z815-6-76