Name Resolution

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Name Resolution

Now that the naming of computers has been discussed, hopefully you can see the need for the system that has evolved. Up to this point, however, this chapter has discussed only theory. You now need to learn what happens with NetBIOS names. You can work with NetBIOS names in one of two ways: using broadcasts, or using the services of a NetBIOS Name Server. Either method can handle the four main functions required by the NetBIOS Name Service. The functions are as follows:

Name Registration. As previously discussed, this is the process of registering a name for every service on the system on which you are working.
Name Query. When your want to connect to another computer across the network, your system has to be able to find that computer’s MAC address. This requires, in the case of TCP/IP, that you have the IP address (which TCP/IP resolves to a MAC address—the hardware address discussed in Chapter 2, “Architectural Overview of the TCP/IP Suite”). The Name Query is sent on the network (like the Address Resolution Protocol packet that follows) and requests a response from the computer that has this name registered.
Name Release. As you shut down your system, a Name Release broadcast is sent on the wire. This informs hosts you are communicating with that you are shutting down. Notably, though, this releases your user name, which also is registered. By doing this, no problem with duplicate names arises if you log on at a different workstation.
Positive Name Query Response. As implied, this is the response to the Name Query. Note that every host on the local network receives and accepts the Name Query packet that is sent as a broadcast packet. Each passes the packet to IP, which passes it to UDP, which passes it to the NetBIOS Name Service port. This means that every computer needs to spend CPU time checking whether the queried name is one of theirs.

Previously, it was mentioned that name services can be done using either a broadcast or a NetBIOS Name Server (NBNS). You should note that if a broadcast is used, the services are usable only on the local segment; in most multi-segment networks, an NBNS should be used to provide enterprise-wide name registration and resolution services. Name registration is handled using a local broadcast (actually a Name Query), and the name is registered if no local system responds with a Positive Name Query Response.

Windows NT has six methods for name resolution. The next few sections provide details of each of the methods and the order in which they are used. The six methods are as follows:

NetBIOS Name Cache
LMHOSTS file
Broadcast
NetBIOS Name Server
HOSTS file
DNS Server

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