[Samba] Browsing with duplicate names in multiple
workgroups/subnets and multihome machines
Jonathan Johnson
jon at sutinen.com
Tue Mar 29 01:51:33 GMT 2005
You can see by the subject I've got an ugly problem. Even though I don't
have a Samba server anywhere near the network in question, nobody
understands browsing as well as the folks on the Samba team. :-)
Here's the situation: I've got two workgroups, FLINTSTONE and RUBBLE
which are on physically separate networks. FLINTSTONE has a Windows 2003
Active Directory domain controller; RUBBLE is a simple workgroup. All
workstations are either Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional. There
is no routing between these networks. However, there are two
workstations which are multihomed. More on that in a minute.
Here's the logic (illogic?) of the network:
Segment 1:
* FLINTSTONE domain
* PEBBLES (Windows 2003 Small Business Server Active Directory domain
controller)
* FRED Windows XP Pro workstation (multi-homed to Segment 2, member of
FLINTSTONE)
* WILMA Windows XP Pro workstation (also multi-homed to Segment 2,
member of FLINTSTONE)
Segment 2:
* RUBBLE workgroup
* BETTY Windows 2000 Pro workstation (single-homed, member of RUBBLE)
* BARNEY Windows 2000 Pro workstation (single-homed, member of RUBBLE)
* FLINTSTONE Windows 2000 Pro workstation (single-homed, member of RUBBLE)
The reason that FRED and WILMA are multi-homed is that they both must be
able to access the workstations in the RUBBLE workgroup on Segment 2. As
you can see, we've got a name conflict: a workstation named the same as
the domain. This is, apparently, causing browsing problems for the
multi-homed workstations.
Unfortunately, it's not as simple as renaming the FLINTSTONE workstation
to BAM-BAM. This network on Segment 2 was set up by another vendor (who,
we might add, seems to be rather clueless about Windows networking), and
they are afraid to change the name for fear of what it would break. That
vendors requirements do not allow routing to other networks. This
network is the automation system for a radio station, and "it cannot go
down." The domain of Segment 1 cannot be changed, as Small Business
Server doesn't allow that.
At this point, I'm not really seeking solutions, but perhaps a technical
explanation of what might go on in this situation. Even if there were no
naming conflicts, what are the implications of having two multi-homed
non-routing Windows machines on common networks?
--Jonathan Johnson
Sutinen Consulting, Inc.
www.sutinen.com
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