Number of Browsers in a Domain or Workgroup

The following rules determine the number of browsers in a domain or workgroup.

If there is currently a PDC in the domain, it is the master browser for the domain.

Every backup domain controller (BDC) in the domain is a backup browser for the domain. The only exception to this is when the BDC is needed as a master browser because the PDC has failed. In that case, the BDC is the master browser for the domain.

Note

This can be a problem because the DOMAIN[1B] entry, used to locate the Domain Master Browser, is only updated if the backup domain controller is promoted.

If the registry of a computer has the value of the MaintainServerList entry set to Yes , the computer is a backup browser for the domain or TCP/IP subnet.

If no backup browsers are selected for the domain based on the preceding rules, the master browser determines the number of backup browsers for the domain. The master browser selects some of those computers with the value of the MaintainServerList entry set to Auto to act as backup browsers.

Table I.3 shows the number of backup browsers that are selected, based on the number of computers in the domain.

Table I.3 Number of Browsers in a Domain or Workgroup

For each additional 32 computers added to the domain, another backup browser is selected for the domain.

In a TCP/IP network, each subnet independently enforces the preceding rules.