Deploying Microsoft WINS Service

Before you install WINS servers on your network, you must consider the following issues. Each issue is described in more detail later in this section.

Determine the Number of WINS Servers Needed    One WINS server can handle NetBIOS name resolution requests for 10,000 computers. However, when deciding how many WINS servers you need, you must consider the location of routers on your network and the distribution of clients in each subnet. For more information, see "How Many Servers to Use" in this section.

Design the WINS Replication Partners    Planning WINS replication involves determining whether WINS servers are configured as pull or push partners and setting partner preferences for each server. For more information about how to decide between push or pull replication, see "Configuring WINS Replication" in this section.

Assess the Impact of WINS Traffic on Slow Links    Although WINS helps reduce broadcast traffic within and between local subnets, it does create some traffic between servers and clients. Estimate this traffic, particularly on routed TCP/IP networks. In addition to routing traffic, consider the effects of low-speed links (such as those typically used for wide area networking) upon replication traffic between WINS servers and WINS clients registering and renewing NetBIOS names. For more information, see "Network Performance" later in this section.

Assess the WINS Fault Tolerance Within a Network    To plan a successful WINS installation, you must consider the effect of a WINS server being shut down or temporarily disconnected from the network. Use additional WINS servers for disaster recovery, backup, and redundancy. For more information on planning a fault-tolerant WINS installation, see "Fault Tolerance" later in this section.

Test and Revise Your Planned WINS Installation    By testing the performance of your installation of WINS, you can better identify the source of potential problems before they occur.