HP CIFS Windows 2000 Interoperability (October 2002)

CIFS/9000 and Windows 2000 Interoperability

Hewlett-Packard

Chapter 6 Name Address Resolution

The convergence of Windows 2000, CIFS/9000, and HP-UX in a single operating environment

combines three different methods of resolving names to addresses:

• NetBIOS/WINS (NT4.0 and CIFS/9000)

• BIND (HP-UX UNIX DNS)

• DDNS (Windows 2000 DNS)

Regardless of the method, each name-address resolution protocol accomplishes the same

objective:

• Resolve and update names

• Define a schema for data storage

• Replicate data

Microsoft designed Windows NT4.0 around NetBIOS and utilized their WINS service to

enable multi-network name resolution. With Windows 2000, Microsoft evolves their

platform away from its NetBIOS roots of network protocol and embraces DNS, but

interoperability with BIND is impacted because it does not follow the industry standard

DNS RFCs completely.

6.1 NetBIOS and WINS

NetBIOS and WINS combine to provide NT4.0 multi-network name resolution. NetBIOS

provides name resolution, but it is limited to local subnets. WINS is a separate component

that provides multi-subnet connectivity.

6.1.1 NetBIOS

NetBIOS is the NT4.0 (and prior) name resolution protocol, based upon RFC 1001 (protocol)

and RFC 1002 (structures). NetBIOS actually is an acronym that represents Network Basic

Input Output System, but the BIOS part of NetBIOS is hardly comparable to your PC BIOS.

The NetBIOS RFCs simply define how separate computers on a network can find each other

and send messages using the following services:

• Name Service: Registration and resolution

• Session Service: Establishing, maintaining, and terminating connections

• Datagram Service: Non -session messaging

The NetBIOS protocol is implemented using a flat, static, 15-character namespace, which

limits its range and versatility in burgeoning modern networks. It is also integrally

dependant upon broadcast UDP/IP transmission, which is a concern for heavy usage

networks. However, NetBIOS was the standard Windows NT4.0 protocol, so CIFS/9000

name resolution is based upon NetBIOS. The most important fact for integrating name

resolution for CIFS/9000, Windows 2000, and HP-UX is CIFS/9000 requires NetBIOS.

The next most important rule is to assign the CIFS/9000 server NetBIOS name (in smb.conf)

to the same name as the uname of the host HP-UX system. The HP-UX uname is 8

characters long, so the NetBIOS 15 character name (actually it is 16 characters, but the 16

is for the name suffix) length limitation compared to DDNS is not significant. It is important

to keep the names coordinated for ease of administration.