Windows Internet Name Service

Microsoft WINS Servers

The WINS system for name resolution can be viewed as a set of tightly integrated components:

WINS server. A computer that provides the WINS service and replicates the WINS database with other WINS servers so that complete name-to-address resolution information is available regardless of which WINS server a WINS client uses.
WINS client. Any WINS-enabled computer that uses the WINS service to register or refresh its NetBIOS name and IP address.
WINS proxy. A WINS-enabled computer that helps resolve name queries in routed TCP/IP intranets for computers that are not WINS-enabled.
WINS database. Dynamically updated list of NetBIOS names and their associated IP addresses, including IP addresses assigned by DHCP. In networks with multiple WINS servers, the servers exchange database updates through replication.
WINS Management Console. A plug-in to the Microsoft Management Console that provides a range of management tools.

The next sections take a closer look at each of these components, beginning with the WINS servers and proxies that form the backbone of the entire system.