WAN Browsing May Fail After Promoting New PDC

 Last reviewed: August 28, 1996
Article ID: Q130401
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5

SYMPTOMS

When you promote a new PDC on a network that routes only TCP/IP, browse lists may no longer contain the names of all the computers and domains on the network.

CAUSE

In network where only TCP/IP is routed, the primary domain controller (PDC) acts as the domain master browser. The PDC is also be the master browser for its subnet. Every other subnet (an independent broadcast region) has a separate computer acting as the master browser.

Every 12 minutes, the master browser for each subnet:

  • Sends a directed master browser announcement to the Domain Master Browser.
  • Establishes a TCP/IP connection to the domain master browser, and pulls two browse lists from it. One is a list of all machines in the domain that are participating in browsing, and the other is a list of all domains that have been discovered.

Upon receiving the master browser announcement from a subnet master browser, the PDC should establish a TCP connection to it and pull the updated browse lists for that subnet. It should then merge those lists into the complete browse list, which it maintains.

A timing condition exists in Windows NT 3.5 where the user-mode portion of the browser code may not have an IRP posted to receive master browser announcements. When this occurs, the domain master browser begins to drop master browser announcements. This causes it to stop collecting browse lists from the subnet master browsers. Computers on those subnets will age out of the master browse list and no longer be visible in browse lists.

RESOLUTION

Obtain an updated BROWSER.DLL file from Microsoft . The new BROWSER.DLL file should be installed on any machine that may be promoted to PDC.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.5. A supported fix is now available, but is not fully regression-tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the service pack release containing this fix. Contact Microsoft Product Support Services for more information.

KBCategory: kbnetwork kbbug3.50
KBSubcategory: ntnetserv NTSrv
Additional reference words: prodnt 3.50

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Last reviewed: August 28, 1996
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