Browsing Domain Master Browsers w/ Multiple NICs and Protocols

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0

SUMMARY

When a Domain Master Browser runs on multiple network transport stacks, or uses multiple network adapters (multihomed), it maintains a separate list of servers for each of its transport/network adapter pairs (also known as an endpoints). When a client browses the Domain Master Browser, it returns a list of only those servers associated with the endpoint the request was received on.

A client requests a browse list for every transport that is bound (and running) to the network adapter over which the client is connected to the server.

Because the Domain Master Browser cannot determine if the browsing client has access to servers on endpoints other than the one it received the request on, it sends the client a list of only those servers associated with that endpoint.

If you browse from the Domain Master Browser computer (using File Manager or the NET VIEW command), you see a merged list of all servers from all endpoints. This is because all of the servers in each endpoint's list are reachable from the Domain Master Browser.

NWLink supports a virtual network and presents a single interface to it's clients, performing internal routing if necessary. Therefore, there is no endpoint pairing as there is with other protocols. Thus when an NWLink client browses the Domain Master Browser over NwLnkIpx/Spx, the returned list includes the servers from each network adapter that the Domain Master Browser has NWLink bound to.

MORE INFORMATION

For example, assume "ServerOne" is a Domain Controller acting as the Domain Master Browser. ServerOne has two network adapters connected to segments A and B. ServerOne has both TCP/IP and NetBEUI bound to the adapter connected to segment A and only TCP/IP bound to the adapter connected to segment B.

A client workstation attached to segment A and running only TCP/IP will receive only the browse list of servers associated with the server's endpoint for TCP/IP on segment A.

A client workstation attached to segment A and running both TCP/IP and NetBEUI will receive the list of servers associated with both of the server's TCP/IP and NetBEUI endpoints on segment A.

Neither of the client workstations receive the list of servers associated with the TCP/IP endpoint on segment B.