Configuring Replication Partners

WINS servers communicate among themselves to replicate their databases fully, ensuring that a name registered with one WINS server is eventually replicated to all other WINS servers within the network. All mapping changes converge within the replication period for the entire WINS system, which is the maximum time for propagating changes to all WINS servers. All released names are propagated to all WINS servers after they become extinct, based on the interval specified in WINS Manager.

Use the Replication Partners command in WINS Manager to configure replication partners and replication partner properties. There are two types of replication partners: pull and push:

• A pull partner is a WINS server that pulls (requests) WINS database entries from its push partners. The pull partner pulls new WINS database entries by requesting entries with a higher version number than the last entry it received during the last replication from that push partner.

  A pull partner can notify push partners that replication is needed by using either of the following methods: an arbitrary time interval, as configured by the WINS administrator, or immediate replication, initiated by the WINS administrator using WINS Manager.

• A push partner is a WINS server that sends a message to its pull partners that the WINS database has changed. When the pull partners respond to the message with a replication request, the push partner sends a copy of its new WINS database entries to the pull partners.

  The push partner notifies pull partners of replication requirements by using either of the following methods: an arbitrary number of WINS updates (update count), as configured by the WINS administrator, or immediate replication initiated by the WINS administrator by using WINS Manager.

  If you modify the update count using WINS Manager, you then can open the WINS Server Configuration dialog box and check the OK button. As a result, the new value will take effect immediately.

Choosing whether to configure another WINS server as a push partner or pull partner depends on several considerations, including the specific configuration of servers at your site, whether the partner is across a wide area network (WAN), and how important it is to propagate the changes.

Replication is triggered when a WINS server polls another server to get replicated information. This can begin when the WINS server is started, and is repeated based on the configured update count or time interval, or by using WINS Manager to start immediate replication.

Replication also is triggered when a WINS server reaches a threshold set by the administrator. This is an update count for registrations and changes. In this case, the server notifies its pull partners that it has reached this threshold, and the other servers can then decide to pull replicated information.

It is always a good idea for replication partners to be both push and pull partners of each other. The primary and backup WINS servers must be both push and pull partners with each other to ensure that the primary and backup databases are consistent.