[Samba] The "single WINS" problem

[Andreas Hasenack]

On Wed, Nov 30, 2005 at 04:15:51PM +0100, Michael Gasch wrote:
> so what really happens when WINS server dies (or the PDC at all)?
> we have a PDC/BDC samba setup.

Name resolution for servers outside the local subnet fails.

> it would be a mess if the BDC could not be asked for logons because WINS 
> of PDC fails, when PDC is down!!!

That's what happens in my case, the BDC is useless because the machine
hosting the WINS service crashed.

> should i install a seperate samba box just for WINS?

You will have the same single point of failure in WINS, just in another
machine.

> WINS can really help much in a win-network but i don?t like the idea of 
> messing up the network if it fails :(

The workstation fallback tends to be broadcast name resolution, which
helps if you have a domain controller in the same subnet. But name
resolution for machines outside your local subnet will fail without
wins.