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Q138272: Browse List Contains Obsolete Domain Names

Article: Q138272
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:3.51
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbother
Last Modified: 08-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.51 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you browse the network, only incomplete browse lists appear or the browse
list contains domains that are no longer valid.

Incomplete browse list example:

  On a network with 2000 domains (2000 is the maximum number of domains that
  Browser can accommodate) less than 2000 domains appear on the browse list.

CAUSE
=====

You are stopping the WINS service daily to do off-line compaction (Jetpack).

The WINS service triggers a scavenge of obsolete records if the time that elapsed
from the WINS service startup has reached half of the renewal interval. The
renewal interval is set to 96 hours by default, therefore the scavenge is
performed after the WINS service runs continuously for 48 hours. If you stop the
WINS service daily, that is every 24 hours, the scavenger never gets a chance to
run and the domain records are never scavenged. Therefore, obsolete domains
appear in the browser list and in the WINS Admin tool with old expiration dates,
but still marked ACTIVE.


WORKAROUND
==========

To work around this problem, enterprise Administrators have the option to do one
or more of the following:

- Decrease the Renewal and Extinction intervals.

- Leave the WINS server up longer than the half the renewal interval.

- Manually initiate scavenging through the WINS Admin tool.

- Use an AT scheduler script to trigger the scavenge with WINSCL.EXE. For
  additional information on WINSCL.EXE read the section titled The WINSCL.EXE
  Command Line Utility below.

- In large enterprises, daily jetpacking of the WINS database may be necessary
  to keep the size of the WINS.MDB from becoming excessively large; this also
  helps maintain query performance and database integrity. Currently, the Jet
  database engine under WINS only supports off-line compaction.


The WINSCL.EXE Command Line Utility
-----------------------------------

WINSCL.EXE is a command line utility for WINS database management. It is included
in the Windows NT 3.51 Resource Kit. A sample script, SCAVWINS.CMD, is given
below. You should replace the xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx in the fifth line of the following
script with the appropriate IP address for your server:

  @echo off
  REM Script for Initiating Scanvenging on WINS
  REM

  REM Local WINS IP address
  set winsip=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

  REM directory where winscl.exe is located
  set homedir=%systemroot%\system32\wins

  REM Create init file
  echo 1 >%homedir%\scav.in
  echo %winsip% >>%homedir%\scav.in
  echo SC >>%homedir%\scav.in
  echo EX >>%homedir%\scav.in

  REM execute winscl
  %homedir%\winscl <%homedir%\scav.in >%homedir%\scavwins.log

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.51. A fix
to this problem is in development, but has not been regression-tested and may be
destabilizing in production environments. Microsoft does not recommend
implementing this fix at this time. Contact Microsoft Product Support Services
for more information on the availability of this fix.


Additional query words: prodnt

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbother 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT351search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS351search
Version           : winnt:3.51

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