Browse Service Across Multiple Workgroups and Domains

Users need to browse multiple workgroups and domains to retrieve a list of servers within their workgroup or domain and a list of other workgroups and domains.

Figure I.7 shows Browser Service across multiple workgroups and domains.

Figure I.7 Browser Service Across Multiple Workgroups and Domains

Upon becoming a master browser, each master browser in each workgroup and domain will broadcast a DomainAnnouncement datagram every minute for the first five minutes. After the first five minutes, the master browser will broadcast a DomainAnnouncement once every 12 minutes. If a workgroup or domain has not announced itself for three announcement periods, the workgroup or domain is removed from the list of workgroups and domains. Therefore, it is possible that a workgroup or domain appears in the browse list 45 minutes after the workgroup or domain has failed or been shut down.

A DomainAnnouncement datagram contains the following information.

• Name of the domain

• Name of a master browser for that domain which may or not be a Primary Domain Controller.

• Version of the operating software

If the browser computer is running Windows 2000 Server or Windows NT Server, the DomainAnnouncement also specifies whether or not the browser computer is the domain PDC.