Browser Service

D

Danielle

Is it necessary to have the computer browser service started on all servers?
Would it work to just have it started on two DC's? Can I also stop it on
the clients machines? I'm in a 2K AD environment with 10 2k/2k3 servers and
40 xp/2k users. I've been getting lots of event id 8003 errors from both
clients and servers. What kind of effects will it have if it's stopped on
all but the DC's? It seems to be causing a lot of unnecessary network
traffic. I included the event log error. Thanks for your help!

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MRxSmb
Event Category: None
Event ID: 8003
Date: 11/28/2003
Time: 11:20:41 AM
User: N/A
Computer: DC2
Description:
The master browser has received a server announcement from the computer
SERVER1 that believes that it is the master browser for the domain on
transport NetBT_Tcpip_{83A0C571-1E10-42DF-9. The master browser is stopping
or an election is being forced.
Data:
0000: 00 00 00 03 00 4e 00 ......N.
0008: 00 00 00 00 43 1f 00 c0 ....C..À
0010: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0018: 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
 
P

Phil Arnold

Danielle wrote in microsoft.public.win2000.general:
Is it necessary to have the computer browser service started on all
servers? Would it work to just have it started on two DC's? Can I
also stop it on the clients machines?

It's not so much stopping it as fine-tuning. Stopping it would possibly
cause more problems than it would fix, depending on your environment.

This registry hive controls it:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser\Parameters

The keys are:

IsDomainMaster (default value = FALSE)
MaintainServerList (default value = Auto)

To stop your errors, set your workstations/clients IsDomainMaster to
FALSE if not already, and set MaintainServerList to No. Please note
capitalization!

Fine-tuning this on your workstations will eliminate most of your errors,
as the servers will sort themselves out.

Good luck!
-PhilA
 
S

SaltPeter

Danielle said:
Is it necessary to have the computer browser service started on all servers?
Would it work to just have it started on two DC's? Can I also stop it on
the clients machines? I'm in a 2K AD environment with 10 2k/2k3 servers and
40 xp/2k users. I've been getting lots of event id 8003 errors from both
clients and servers. What kind of effects will it have if it's stopped on
all but the DC's? It seems to be causing a lot of unnecessary network
traffic. I included the event log error. Thanks for your help!

Event Type: Error
Event Source: MRxSmb
Event Category: None
Event ID: 8003
Date: 11/28/2003
Time: 11:20:41 AM
User: N/A
Computer: DC2
Description:
The master browser has received a server announcement from the computer
SERVER1 that believes that it is the master browser for the domain on
transport NetBT_Tcpip_{83A0C571-1E10-42DF-9. The master browser is stopping
or an election is being forced.
Data:
0000: 00 00 00 03 00 4e 00 ......N.
0008: 00 00 00 00 43 1f 00 c0 ....C..À
0010: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0018: 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........

It's not quite that simple, the browse list is maintained by 1 domain
master browser (the root DC) and both a master browser + a backup browser
for EACH subnet in the domain. The one domain master browser "catalogues"
the various clients that each subnet master browser finds but each subnet's
clients abtains the list from their pre-elected backup browser.
With that information, adjusted to the number of subnets you have
physically, you can use Phil's comments to define which servers (or clients)
participate in the (localized) browser election(s).
If you are wondering why all this commotion about subnets, netbios
browsing is blocked by most routers in the case you have any on your
network.
 
D

Danielle

Both of my DC's have FALSE listed under the IsDomainMaster. Shouild I
change the main DC to be TRUE?

I will make sure all worstations have the correct registry entries and keep
the servers as is. Thanks for your help.
 
S

SaltPeter

Danielle said:
Both of my DC's have FALSE listed under the IsDomainMaster. Shouild I
change the main DC to be TRUE?

Yes, your "PDC emulator" needs to be the domain master browser in order to
harbour the browse list. The PDC emulator is one of the 5 FSMO roles
assigned to domain controllers.
I will make sure all worstations have the correct registry entries and keep
the servers as is. Thanks for your help.

My pleasure, in the case you need more info:

Description of the Microsoft Computer Browser Service
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;188001

How Browsing a Wide Area Network Works
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;117633

Browsing Domain Master Browsers w/ Multiple NICs and Protocols
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;133241
 

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