Checking the WINS database for consistency
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 8 Beta
Checking the WINS database for consistency
Consistency checking helps maintain database integrity among WINS servers in a large network. When you initiate consistency checking at the WINS console, all records are pulled from each owner listed in the current server database, including other WINS servers that are indirect (not directly configured) replication partners.
All records pulled from remote databases are compared to records in the local database, using the following checks for consistency:
If the record in the local database is identical to the record pulled from the owner database, its time stamp is updated.
If the record in the local database has a lower version ID than the record pulled from the owner database, the pulled record is added to the local database, and the original local record is marked for deletion.
Verifying registered name records on WINS servers
The WINS console provides a Check Registered Names command that enables you to perform the following verification process among WINS servers on your networks:
A NetBIOS name records list, that can be specified either manually or within a stored file called Names.txt, that contains names to be used for testing and verification.
A WINS server list, that can be specified either manually or within a stored file called Servers.txt, that contains a list of WINS servers to be used in verifying NetBIOS names you specify for testing and verification checking.
WINS uses a NetBIOS names list (such as Names.txt) to build a query and test for those records with any matched records currently registered and stored in local databases at other WINS servers. The list of WINS servers used for checking the specified names is determined by the IP addresses of WINS servers included in a server list (such as Servers.txt) which is the list of WINS servers to query.
Once initiated, WINS completes the name verification check as follows:
The names list is used to build a name query list.
Names are verified by query for the first listed name, starting with the WINS server specified in the server list.
For each name in the names list, WINS queries each server to verify that the name is registered.
If a failure is encountered, WINS can retry the query up to three times at the same server.
Once the first listed name has been queried and checked at all servers, WINS proceeds to the next name in the list.
The process is repeated until all listed names have been checked at all listed servers. The results and outcome of each name/server query are displayed in Checking Name Registrations.
Typical results include the following:
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
ok |
Indicates both that the query was successfully completed and that the specified name was verified at the current WINS server. |
no response |
Indicates that the current WINS server did not respond to the NetBIOS name query. |
name not found |
Indicates that the current WINS server responded to the NetBIOS name query but could not resolve the specified name. |
When all specified names have been queried at all specified servers, a summary is provided, which includes the following information:
Any specified NetBIOS names that were verified to their mapped IP address.
Specified NetBIOS names for which not all WINS servers resolved to the same IP address, indicating that the name is stored and used inconsistently in WINS.
WINS servers that generated an incomplete response, indicating that they did not have all of the names specified for verification.
WINS servers that did not respond.
Specified names for which an IP address could not be verified.
Notes
If a WINS database is extremely large, the consistency checking process can be highly resource intensive, affecting network, disk, and processor usage. For this reason, consider doing this during off-peak hours when other network traffic loads and usage are minimal.
If the Verify name records with all partners of each selected server check box is cleared, listed names are only verified at each of the specified servers. When this option is selected, replication partners of each listed server are additionally queried for any specified names.
For Windows 2000 and the Windows Server 2003 family, use the WINS console to perform consistency checking. For earlier versions, consistency checking must be enabled, either through changes to the Windows NT registry or triggered through use of the WINSCL utility, provided as part of the Windows NT 4.0 Server Resource Kit.