Determining Replication Partners

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Choosing whether to configure a WINS server as a push partner, pull partner, or push/pull partner depends on several considerations, including the specific configuration of servers at your site, whether the partner is across a WAN, and how important it is to distribute changes immediately throughout the network.

In the hub-and-spoke configuration, you can configure one WINS server as the central server and all other WINS servers as push/pull partners of this central server. Such a configuration ensures that the WINS database on each server contains addresses for every node on the WAN. Figure 4.6 shows replication using a hub-and-spoke topology.

Figure 4.6   WINS Replication in a Hub-and-Spoke Topology

WINS Replication in a Hub-and-Spoke Topology

You can select other configurations for replication partner configurations to meet the particular needs of your site. For example, Figure 4.7 shows replication in a T network topology, in which Server1 has only Server2 as a partner, but Server2 has three partners. So Server1 gets all the replicated information from Server2, but Server2 gets information from Server1, Server3, and Server4.

Figure 4.7   Replication in a T Network Topology

Replication in a T Network Topology

If Server2 needs to perform pull replications with Server3, make sure it is a push partner of Server3. If Server2 needs to push replications to Server3, configure it as a pull partner of Server3. Determine whether to configure WINS servers as either pull or push partners, and set partner preferences for each server.