Recommended Practices for WINS

• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SUMMARY

This article discusses the recommended practices for implementing the Windows Internet Name Service (WINS). Following these practices should decrease the occurrence of WINS problems.

MORE INFORMATION

• It is highly recommended that a WINS server point to itself as primary and secondary WINS in the TCP/IP configuration.
  
  For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  ARTICLE-ID: Q150737
  TITLE : Setting Primary and Secondary WINS Server Options



• It is highly recommended to use the correct ratio of WINS servers to WINS clients. A general rule is to have one WINS server for each 10,000 users plus one additional WINS server for redundancy. The redundant server does not have to be located at the same site.
  
  For additional information on WINS Ratios, please see the following White Paper available on the Microsoft anonymous ftp server:
  
  File Name: Winswp.doc Location : ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-docs/papers/ Title : "Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS)" (Page 44)



• It is highly recommended to use a hub and spoke replication model.
  
  For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  ARTICLE-ID: Q168076
  TITLE : WINS Fails to Converge
  
  -and-
  
  Page 24 of the WINS White Paper mentioned above.



• It is highly recommended to periodically run Jetpack (for example, once a month or once a quarter).
  
  For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  ARTICLE-ID: Q167812
  TITLE : WINS and DHCP Dynamic Database Compaction in Windows NT 4.0
  
  ARTICLE-ID: Q145881
  TITLE : How to use Jetpack.exe To Compact a WINS or DHCP Database



• Multihomed WINS servers require additional configuration in order for replication to occur. For information on how to configure multihomed WINS servers please see the following article in Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  ARTICLE-ID: Q139380
  TITLE : Multihomed WINS Server Replication Partner Failures



• It is highly recommended to not use static entries for WINS clients.
  
  For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  ARTICLE-ID: Q177140
  TITLE : How to Remove Static WINS Entries from All WINS Servers

Keywords          : 
Version           : WinNT:4.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : kbinfo 

Last Reviewed: February 8, 1999