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 (WINS) in a Windows Server 2003 network to ensure that clients using the older versions of Windows can locate and communicate with network resources as needed. One can use WINS both to register NetBIOS names and to resolve those names to IP addresses.

The WINS service resolves NetBIOS names, which reduces broadcast traffic and enables clients to resolve the NetBIOS names of computers that are on different network segments (subnets).WINS

Components of WINS

The complete Windows Server 2003 WINS system includes the following components:

  • WINS Server: a computer that processes name registration requests from WINS clients, registers the client's name and IP addresses, and responds to NetBIOS name queries that clients submit. The WINS server then returns the IP address of a queried name, if the name is listed in the server database.
  • WINS database: the WINS database stores and replicate the NetBIOS name to IP address mappings for a network.
  • WINS Client: computers that are directly pointing to a WINS server to register their NetBIOS name and to communicate with other computers registered with same WINS server on that network.
  • WINS proxy agents: a computer that monitors broadcast for name query and give responds for all those names which are not located on the local subnet. WINS server communicates with the proxy for resolving names and then it caches the names for a particular time period.