Implementing WINS Name Resolution Services
Product Manual U7613-J-Z815-6-76
© Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG 1995 Pfad: D:\O7613e6\u7613e.k10
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 i nternetwork
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. Al though
NetBIOS names are compatible with DNS host names, both naming conventions should b e
well distinguished.
On the local network, the computer name is the name that was supplie d 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 addres s on the
network during system startup.
A computer can use one or more of the following methods to ensure accurate Net BIOS
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 conta ins a
dynamic database that maps computer names to IP addresses. WINS can be used in
conjunction with broadcast name resolution for an internetwork where othe r 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 a ttempts
to register a duplicate name and for responding to name queries for its registered name.