Secondary WINS Servers

Client computers should be configured with both a primary and secondary WINS server. If the primary WINS server cannot be reached for a WINS function (such as registration, refresh, release, query), the client requests that function from its secondary WINS server. The client periodically retries its primary WINS server.

Note

While Windows 2000 Advanced Server supports the use of clustering for WINS servers, in almost all cases this service is unnecessary. Configuring secondary WINS servers provides the same function. In addition, maintaining secondary WINS servers is easier, and secondary WINS servers can be at a different location For more information about clustering WINS servers, see "Burst Handling" later in this chapter. For more information about clustering using Network Load Balancing, see "Network Load Balancing" in the Microsoft® Windows ®  2000 Server Resource Kit Distributed Systems Guide .

In networks with both a primary and secondary WINS server, it is best to configure half the clients with one server as the primary and the other server as secondary, and configure the other half of the clients with the opposite selections for primary and secondary servers. This cuts the burden on each server in half, while ensuring that a secondary server does not sit idle until the primary server fails.