diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'docs/textdocs/BROWSING-Config.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | docs/textdocs/BROWSING-Config.txt | 215 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 215 deletions
diff --git a/docs/textdocs/BROWSING-Config.txt b/docs/textdocs/BROWSING-Config.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ba0f399f48..0000000000 --- a/docs/textdocs/BROWSING-Config.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,215 +0,0 @@ -Date: July 5, 1998 -Contributor: John H Terpstra <jht@samba.org> - -Subject: Cross Subnet Browsing / Cross Workgroup Browsing -=============================================================================== - -OVERVIEW: -========= - -This document should be read in conjunction with BROWSING.txt and may -be taken as the fast track guide to implementing browsing across subnets -and / or across workgroups (or domains). WINS is the best tool for resolution -of NetBIOS names to IP addesses. WINS is NOT involved in browse list handling -except by way of name to address mapping. - - -DISCUSSION: -=========== - -Firstly, all MS Windows networking is based on SMB (Server Message -Block) based messaging. SMB messaging is implemented using NetBIOS. Samba -implements NetBIOS by encapsulating it over TCP/IP. MS Windows products can -do likewise. NetBIOS based networking uses broadcast messaging to affect -browse list management. When running NetBIOS over TCP/IP this uses UDP -based messaging. UDP messages can be broadcast or unicast. - -Normally, only unicast UDP messaging can be forwarded by routers. The -"remote announce" parameter to smb.conf helps to project browse announcements -to remote network segments via unicast UDP. Similarly, the "remote browse sync" -parameter of smb.conf implements browse list collation using unicast UDP. - -Secondly, in those networks where Samba is the only SMB server technology -wherever possible nmbd should be configured on one (1) machine as the WINS -server. This makes it easy to manage the browsing environment. If each network -segment is configured with it's own Samba WINS server, then the only way to -get cross segment browsing to work is by using the "remote announce" and -the "remote browse sync" parameters to your smb.conf file. - -If only one WINS server is used then the use of the "remote announce" and the -"remote browse sync" parameters should NOT be necessary. - -Samba WINS does not support MS-WINS replication. This means that when setting up -Samba as a WINS server there must only be one nmbd configured as a WINS server -on the network. Some sites have used multiple Samba WINS servers for redundancy -(one server per subnet) and then used "remote browse sync" and "remote announce" -to affect browse list collation across all segments. Note that this means -clients will only resolve local names, and must be configured to use DNS to -resolve names on other subnets in order to resolve the IP addresses of the -servers they can see on other subnets. This setup is not recommended, but is -mentioned as a practical consideration (ie: an 'if all else fails' scenario). - -Lastly, take note that browse lists are a collection of unreliable broadcast -messages that are repeated at intervals of not more than 15 minutes. This means -that it will take time to establish a browse list and it can take up to 45 -minutes to stabilise, particularly across network segments. - - -A) Use of the "Remote Announce" parameter ------------------------------------------- -The "remote announce" parameter of smb.conf can be used to forcibly ensure -that all the NetBIOS names on a network get announced to a remote network. -The syntax of the "remote announce" parameter is: - - remote announce = a.b.c.d [e.f.g.h] ... -_or_ - remote announce = a.b.c.d/WORKGROUP [e.f.g.h/WORKGROUP] ... - -where: - a.b.c.d: is either the LMB (Local Master Browser) IP address - e.f.g.h: or the broadcst address of the remote network. - ie: the LMB is at 192.168.1.10, or the address - could be given as 192.168.1.255 where the netmask - is assumed to be 24 bits (255.255.255.0). - When the remote announcement is made to the broadcast - address of the remote network every host will receive - our announcements. This is noisy and therefore - undesirable but may be necessary if we do NOT know - the IP address of the remote LMB. - - WORKGROUP: is optional and can be either our own workgroup - or that of the remote network. If you use the - workgroup name of the remote network then our - NetBIOS machine names will end up looking like - they belong to that workgroup, this may cause - name resolution problems and should be avoided. - - -B) Use of the "Remote Browse Sync" parameter --------------------------------------------- - -The "remote browse sync" parameter of smb.conf is used to announce to -another LMB that it must synchronise it's NetBIOS name list with our -Samba LMB. It works ONLY if the Samba server that has this option is -simultaneously the LMB on it's network segment. - -The syntax of the "remote browse sync" parameter is: - - remote browse sync = a.b.c.d - -where: - a.b.c.d: is either the IP address of the remote LMB or else - is the network broadcast address of the remote segment. - - -C) Use of WINS --------------- - -Use of WINS (either Samba WINS _or_ MS Windows NT Server WINS) is highly -recommended. Every NetBIOS machine registers it's name together with a -name_type value for each of of several types of service it has available. -eg: It registers it's name directly as a unique (the type 0x03) name. -It also registers it's name if it is running the lanmanager compatible -server service (used to make shares and printers available to other users) -by registering the server (the type 0x20) name. - -All NetBIOS names are up to 15 characters in length. The name_type variable -is added to the end of the name - thus creating a 16 character name. Any -name that is shorter than 15 characters is padded with spaces to the 15th -character. ie: All NetBIOS names are 16 characters long (including the -name_type information). - -WINS can store these 16 character names as they get registered. A client -that wants to log onto the network can ask the WINS server for a list -of all names that have registered the NetLogon service name_type. This saves -broadcast traffic and greatly expedites logon processing. Since broadcast -name resolution can not be used across network segments this type of -information can only be provided via WINS _or_ via statically configured -"lmhosts" files that must reside on all clients in the absence of WINS. - -WINS also serves the purpose of forcing browse list synchronisation by all -LMB's. LMB's must synchronise their browse list with the DMB (domain master -browser) and WINS helps the LMB to identify it's DMB. By definition this -will work only within a single workgroup. Note that the domain master browser -has NOTHING to do with what is referred to as an MS Windows NT Domain. The -later is a reference to a security environment while the DMB refers to the -master controller for browse list information only. - -Use of WINS will work correctly only if EVERY client TCP/IP protocol stack -has been configured to use the WINS server/s. Any client that has not been -configured to use the WINS server will continue to use only broadcast based -name registration so that WINS may NEVER get to know about it. In any case, -machines that have not registered with a WINS server will fail name to address -lookup attempts by other clients and will therefore cause workstation access -errors. - -To configure Samba as a WINS server just add "wins support = yes" to the -smb.conf file [globals] section. - -To configure Samba to register with a WINS server just add -"wins server = a.b.c.d" to your smb.conf file [globals] section. - -DO NOT EVER use both "wins support = yes" together with "wins server = a.b.c.d" -particularly not using it's own IP address. - - -D) Do NOT use more than one (1) protocol on MS Windows machines ---------------------------------------------------------------- - -A very common cause of browsing problems results from installing more than -one protocol on an MS Windows machine. - -Every NetBIOS machine take part in a process of electing the LMB (and DMB) -every 15 minutes. A set of election criteria is used to determine the order -of precidence for winning this election process. A machine running Samba or -Windows NT will be biased so that the most suitable machine will predictably -win and thus retain it's role. - -The election process is "fought out" so to speak over every NetBIOS network -interface. In the case of a Windows 9x machine that has both TCP/IP and IPX -installed and has NetBIOS enabled over both protocols the election will be -decided over both protocols. As often happens, if the Windows 9x machine is -the only one with both protocols then the LMB may be won on the NetBIOS -interface over the IPX protocol. Samba will then lose the LMB role as Windows -9x will insist it knows who the LMB is. Samba will then cease to function -as an LMB and thus browse list operation on all TCP/IP only machines will -fail. - -The safest rule of all to follow it this - USE ONLY ONE PROTOCOL! - - -E) Name Resolution Order -======================== - -Resolution of NetBIOS names to IP addresses can take place using a number -of methods. The only ones that can provide NetBIOS name_type information -are: - WINS: the best tool! - LMHOSTS: is static and hard to maintain. - Broadcast: uses UDP and can not resolve names across - remote segments. - -Alternative means of name resolution includes: - /etc/hosts: is static, hard to maintain, and lacks name_type info. - DNS: is a good choice but lacks essential name_type info. - -Many sites want to restrict DNS lookups and want to avoid broadcast name -resolution traffic. The "name resolve order" parameter is of great help here. -The syntax of the "name resolve order" parameter is: - - name resolve order = wins lmhosts bcast host -_or_ - name resolve order = wins lmhosts (eliminates bcast and host) - -the default is: - name resolve order = host lmhost wins bcast - -where: - "host" refers the the native methods used by the Unix system - to implement the gethostbyname() function call. This is normally - controlled by: - /etc/host.conf - /etc/nsswitch.conf - /etc/resolv.conf - -=============================================================================== |