Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) is a Microsoft
name resolution service, introduced in 1994 with
Windows NT 3.5, for translating
NetBIOS
NetBIOS () is an acronym for Network Basic Input/Output System. It provides services related to the session layer of the OSI model allowing applications on separate computers to communicate over a local area network. As strictly an API, Net ...
names to
IP address
An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label such as that is assigned to a device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. IP addresses serve two main functions: network interface i ...
es. NetBIOS names are an older naming convention used for local name resolution before
DNS became ubiquitous. WINS is mostly unnecessary for modern networks unless legacy systems require it. The rise of DNS, especially through Microsoft's
Active Directory
Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. Windows Server operating systems include it as a set of processes and services. Originally, only centralized domain management used Active Direct ...
service's DNS support, made WINS effectively obsolete by the mid-2000s. Microsoft documentation advises not to use WINS on networks not requiring it.
Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) , Microsoft Docs
/ref>
Details
WINS is Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
's implementation of the NetBIOS Name Service (NBNS), a name server and service for NetBIOS computer names. Effectively, WINS is to NetBIOS names what DNS is to domain name
In the Internet, a domain name is a string that identifies a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control. Domain names are often used to identify services provided through the Internet, such as websites, email services, and more. ...
s — a central mapping of host names to network addresses. Like the DNS, it is implemented in two parts, a server service (that manages the embedded Jet Database, server to server replication, service requests, and conflicts) and a TCP/IP
The Internet protocol suite, commonly known as TCP/IP, is a framework for organizing the communication protocols used in the Internet and similar computer networks according to functional criteria. The foundational protocols in the suite are ...
client component which manages the client's registration and renewal of names, and takes care of queries.
References
External links
;Official sources
Microsoft TechNet: Windows Internet Name Service Overview
(Chapter 12 of the downloadable book "TCP/IP Fundamentals for Microsoft Windows")
Microsoft TechNet: WINS Technical Reference
Microsoft TechNet: WINS Concepts
MSKB837391: Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange 2000 Server require NetBIOS name resolution for full functionality
;Other
chapter i
online book (also published by O'Reilly as ), which talks about WINS.
Microsoft server technology
Windows communication and services
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