Where's my DMB?

Mon Nov 3 22:04:35 GMT 2003

David:

First thing:  A DMB must be *assigned* the job.  LMBs are elected, but 
DMBs are the workgroup presidents and are appointed.

More...

On Mon, Nov 03, 2003 at 01:35:53PM -0800, David Wuertele wrote:
> I have a subnet that contains the following hosts:
> 
>   192.168.5.101: host=rh9box1, workgroup=NOWORKGROUP,
>                  (RH9 Running Samba as a WINS server)
>   192.168.5.221: host=XP-1, workgroup=WG1, H node, LMB
>   192.168.5.222: host=XP-2, workgroup=WG1, B node
>   192.168.5.223: host=XP-3, workgroup=WG1, P node
>   192.168.5.224: host=XP-4, workgroup=WG1, M node

Hosts XP-2 and XP-3 are on separate NBT vLANs (in separate NBT scopes).
They cannot see one another.  If node XP-2 announces services, the service 
entry will be stored in the Browse List maintained by XP-1.  If there is a 
DMB for the workgroup, then the service offering will be propogated and 
node XP-3 will learn of it.  The problem is that node XP-3 will not be 
able to access the service because it won't be able to resolve the name 
"XP-2" via the normal NBT mechanisms.

Of course, that all falls into the toilet if you are using DNS name 
resolution for NetBIOS services as well.  P nodes can probably do that.  
Dunno about B nodes.  (Probably depends on the OS.)

> Here is .101's /var/cache/wins.dat file:
> 
>   VERSION 1 86503
>   "^A^B__MSBROWSE__^B#01" 1068194828 255.255.255.255 e4R
>   "XP-1#00" 1068194909 192.168.5.211 64R
>   "XP-1#03" 1068194910 192.168.5.211 64R
>   "XP-1#20" 1068194912 192.168.5.211 64R
>   "XP-3#00" 1068194859 192.168.5.213 24R
>   "XP-3#03" 1068194864 192.168.5.213 24R
>   "XP-3#20" 1068194870 192.168.5.213 24R
>   "XP-4#00" 1068194852 192.168.5.214 44R
>   "XP-4#03" 1068194858 192.168.5.214 44R
>   "XP-4#20" 1068194859 192.168.5.214 44R
>   "DAVE#03" 1068194834 192.168.5.221 64R
>   "NOWORKGROUP#00" 1068154012 255.255.255.255 c4R
>   "NOWORKGROUP#1e" 1068154012 255.255.255.255 c4R

These last two are the Samba server providing Browse Service names.  The 
#00 name is an old LAN-Manager browser system name.  The #1E name is the 
Browse Service Election name.

>   "RH9BOX1#00" 1068154012 192.168.5.101 46R
>   "RH9BOX1#03" 1068154012 192.168.5.101 46R
>   "RH9BOX1#20" 1068154012 192.168.5.101 46R
>   "WG1#00" 1068194940 255.255.255.255 e4R
>   "WG1#1e" 1068194944 255.255.255.255 e4R

These last two are node XP-1 (probably).  It also has the LAN Manager
Browse Service and Browse Service Election names registered.  Note that
the #1D name is not reported.  That's a kludge.  It's part of Microsoft's
design, however, and Samba is just going along with it (because we have
to).

> Why isn't there a DMB?  I don't see a #1b record.  How is XP-3 (a P
> node) supposed to browse?

Without a DMB it won't.  It cannot find the LMB because the LMB *must* be 
found using a broadcast name query.

Suggest setting "domain master = yes" in the smb.conf, and changing the 
workgroup name from "NOWORKGROUP" to "WG1".  That will cause your Samba 
server to become the DMB for workgroup WG1.

WARNING:  Samba can become a DMB without being a PDC.  If, however, there 
          is a PDC for NT Domain "WG1" (the existence of a PDC converts a
          workgroup into an NT Domain) then the PDC *must* be the DMB.

Hope that helps.

Chris -)-----

-- 
"Implementing CIFS - the Common Internet FileSystem" ISBN: 013047116X
Samba Team -- http://www.samba.org/     -)-----   Christopher R. Hertel
jCIFS Team -- http://jcifs.samba.org/   -)-----   ubiqx development, uninq.
ubiqx Team -- http://www.ubiqx.org/     -)-----   crh at ubiqx.mn.org
OnLineBook -- http://ubiqx.org/cifs/    -)-----   crh at ubiqx.org