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Chapter 7
Networking
- • Installing Network Adapters
- • Sharing A Folder
- • Who’s Accessing The Server?
- • Changing Workgroup Workstations To Domains
- • Changing The System Name
- • Installing And Configuring NetBEUI
- • Installing And Configuring IPX/SPX
- • Installing And Configuring TCP/IP
- • Checking TCP/IP Connectivity
- • Installing And Configuring A DHCP Server
- • Configuring Clients To Use The DHCP Server
- • Configuring And Using WINS
- • Configuring And Using DNS
- • Which DHCP Client Is Using What TCP/IP Address?
- • Installing And Configuring Gateway Services For NetWare
- • Remote Access Service
- • Replicator Service
- • Locating The PDC And The BDCs
- • Promoting A BDC To A PDC
- • Promoting A BDC To PDC When The PDC Is Down
- • Synchronizing The Domain
- • Configuring Domain Trusts
- • Removing Computers From A Domain
- • Managing A Domain From A Windows NT Workstation
- • Sending A Message To A Remote Computer
- • Installing And Configuring Macintosh Services
- • Configuring And Using Macintosh Print Services
- • Creating And Using Macintosh Volumes
- • Configuring Macintosh Logon Messages
- • Using The Internet Via A Dial-Up Line
Administrator’s Notes...
The networking facilities provided with Windows NT are extensive. The multiple standard networking protocols help make the integration of Windows NT into existing networks relatively straightforward. Windows NT is a protocol-independent operating system and will function with whichever protocols best suit your requirements.
Key Network Components
The following lists the key network components of Windows NT. Each is discussed in detail in this chapter.
- • PDCs, BDCs, and servers
- • Browsers
- • Replicator service
- • Protocols (NWLink, NetBEUI, TCP/IP, AppleTalk, and DLC)
- • Domain Name System
- • Windows Internet Naming Service
- • NetWare Gateway Service
- • Remote Access Service
- • Macintosh services
Network Utility
The Network utility contained in the Control Panel is where virtually all network software components are installed from and configured. The majority of changes made to the network software components require you to restart the system before these changes take effect. When making any network protocol-related changes, you will see that Windows NT automatically reconfigures the network bindings, either when you exit the Network utility or when you select the Bindings tab. Bindings are the communication connections between the networking subsystem—for instance, the adapter card, protocols, and services. The Network utility management window is shown in Figure 7.1.
Figure 7.1 The Network utility management window.
The Domain Model
Windows NT networks can be constructed in one of two ways: around a workgroup or around a domain model. (Chapter 1 provides more detail regarding the differences between these two configurations.) From a networking point of view, we will concentrate on the domain model and the additional steps required to administrate and support this model. Workgroup administration, on the other hand, is more concerned with the administrative overhead of supporting multiple security account databases.
The key issue to understand about the domain model is that a single security database is used to validate the security and logons for the whole domain. Keeping this database available and synchronized is our main concern. When computers are added to the domain, a user account for each computer is created in the domain Security Account Manager database. Server Manager under Administrative Tools can be used to add or remove systems from the domain.
Primary Domain Controller (PDC)
The PDC is used to hold the domain Security Account Manager database, or SAM, which contains all the domain account security information. Here is where all updates are made to the database. There should only ever be one PDC per domain. In addition, the PDC can be used to validate domain logons.
Backup Domain Controllers (BDCs)
The BDCs hold read-only copies of the domain database. There can be multiple BDCs in a domain. BDCs can validate domain logons and, in doing so, reduce the load on the PDC. The BDC copies of the domain databases are automatically synchronized with the PDC. In addition, the system administrator can force this synchronization to take place immediately.
BDCs should be carefully placed in your network design to ensure that the domain logons are validated evenly across the network. Also, wherever possible, the validation should not take place across slow wide-area links.
The BDC is only synchronized automatically with the PDC at 15-minute intervals. A situation could arise where a user changes his or her password at the PDC, logs out of the domain, and then logs back on. If that logon is handled by a BDC that hasn’t yet synchronized the password change with the PDC, the logon would be invalid. When the BDC can’t validate a logon, it passes the logon to be validated by the PDC, and the user would gain access to the domain.
Note: To move either a PDC or BDC between domains, you will need to reinstall Windows NT.
Any BDC has the potential of being promoted to a PDC. When a BDC is promoted, the existing PDC is automatically demoted to a BDC.
Servers
Servers take no part in the validation of domain logons and do not hold copies of the domain database. The computers designated as servers are often used for mission-critical applications, and their resources are required in running the application instead of validating domain logons.
Note: The role a system plays in the domain is designated upon installation. If the system has been designated as a server, that system cannot be promoted to either a BDC or PDC. To allow servers to be promoted, you must reinstall Windows NT. To move servers between domains, no reinstallation is necessary.
The relationship between the PDC, BDCs, and servers is shown in Figure 7.2, along with the validation of domain logons.
Figure 7.2 Domain and server relationships.
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