Using System Monitor to Monitor WINS Activity The System Monitor utility is the main tool for monitoring system performance. System Monitor can track various processes on the Windows system in real time. The utility uses a graphical display that you can use to view current data, or log data. You can specify specific elements or components that should be tracked on the local computer and remote computers. You can determine resource usage by monitoring trends. System Monitor can be displayed in a graph, histogram, or report format. System Monitor uses Read More

WINS Server Role Security Issues A WINS server is an enhanced NetBIOS name server that can resolve NetBIOS computer names to IP addresses. The WINS database hosted on the WINS server is used to store and maintain NetBIOS computer names to IP addresses mappings. WINS registers NetBIOS computer names, and then stores these client name registrations in the WINS database. A WINS server is basically needed if there are applications that require WINS for name resolution to operate correctly. WINS is also typically needed if all your domains have not Read More

In the Windows Server family, the primary means for client computer to locate and communicate with other computers on a internet Protocol (IP) network is by using Domain Name System (DNS). However, clients that use older versions of Windows, such as Windows NT 4.0, use network basic I/O system (NetBIOS) names for network communication. Some applications that run on Windows Server 2003 may also use NetBIOS names for network communication. Using NetBIOS names requires a method of resolving NetBIOS names to IP addresses. One can implement Windows Internet Name Service Read More

WINS replication is the process of copying updated WINS data from one WINS server to other WINS servers in a network to synchronize the data. Replication of WINS databases ensures that a name which is registered with one server gets replicated to other WINS servers on the network. With the use of replication between different WINS server, a particular set of information on WINS is maintained and distributed all over the network. As a result, a WINS client can resolve any NetBIOS name in the network, regardless of the WINS Read More

If you are unable to repair a corrupt database that has been caused by a system failure, a virus attach, a power failure, or a similar disaster, you can first delete the WINS database and then entirely restore it from a backup. The WINS management console is a comprehensive tool which can be used to plan and perform a WINS database backup. Once the database backup directory has been specified, by default, WINS takes complete backup after every 24 hours and stores it in that directory. The WINS management console Read More

Protecting the WINS database To protect your WINS databases from disasters and corruption, you should regularly back up your WINS databases. The methods which you can use to back up the WINS database are: You can use the WINS console to perform: A manual back up of the WINS database Schedule an automatic backup of the WINS database. You can use the ntbackup.exe utility to back up the WINS database. The Windows Server 2003 Volume Shadow Copy feature allows you to back up the WINS database while it is online. Read More

Windows Internet Name Server (WINS) Overview WINS is an enhanced NetBIOS name server (NBNS) which was designed by Microsoft to resolve NetBIOS computer names to IP addresses, and at the same time eliminate the usage of broadcasts for name resolution. In this manner, WINS eliminates traffic generated by broadcasting on the network. WINS provides a WINS database that it utilizes to store and maintain NetBIOS computer names to IP addresses mappings. WINS registers NetBIOS computer names, and stores these client name registrations in the WINS database. The registrations are used Read More