DNS is a part of protocols family TCP/IP. Microsoft and other companies offer the various versions DNS working on various operating systems (basically Unix, Linux, FreeBSD). The word domain in name DNS concerns to domains in Internet, instead of to Windows domain model.

Internet it is subdivided into domains, each of which serves various groups of users. Domains concern to those domains .com, .net, .edu, .gov. Them the Internet-server of the first level which has received the name of a root server of names operates. This name is logical enough if to imagine Internet as treelike structure.

The domains name system of Internet all over again addresses to Internet-servers of the first level, and then "goes down" on a tree of servers. When you type the address, your local server DNS looks through the database and cashed the demanded information. If the local server does not contain the IP-address, it transfers inquiry to a root server of names. Then the root server of names returns to your server DNS the address of a corresponding server of names. In turn your server DNS makes an inquiry to a server of names in searches of the server address at a following level and further process repeats.

For example, if you want will address on unit www.24-7-solutions.net, your server DNS addresses to a server of the domain .net in searches of a server address of names 24-7-solutions in the domain .net. Local server DNS uses the address received by this inquiry, for the reference to a server 24-7-solutions.net in searches of the address of a web-unit host.

The description resulted above may used to consecutive inquiries which DNS carries out from a server to a server. DNS also can carry out recursive inquiry at which the server of domain name transfers results of search to directly initial client.

To make both these of search by more effective, server DNS cashed answers in each point of search. If after communication with unit www.24-7-solutions.net you want will address to other server .net, your server DNS will already know the address of the domain .net server. If you want to contact other computer in the domain 24-7-solutions.net, your server DNS already contains in a cache-memory the address of a server names 24-7-solutions.net.

Both WINS, and DNS carry out the sanction of names which represents process of transformation of a computer name to address. WINS transforms internal names NetBIOS to IP-addresses, and DNS will transform to IP-addresses Internet-names. If your network covers only your company and in it systems of Microsoft are used only (for example, on the basis of NetBIOS), DNS to you don't needed. Everything, that is necessary for the sanction of names offers WINS. But if you are connected to Internet, you should think of communication type to realize. If your users will get access to external servers in Internet, it is necessary to give to them opportunities which are beyond search of the address in Internet. If, on the contrary, you plan to give resources to which users outside of your network will address, it is necessary to configure in database DNS servers as hosts.

If for assignment of IP-addresses you use DHCP at change of the IP-address there can be problems. Database DNS should be configured manually, therefore achieve that all data in it reflected a real state of affairs, difficultly enough. Fortunately, there is a simple decision.

When you use DHCP, you often establish and WINS. At last level by search of a name when DNS usually connects a name of a host with the IP-address, DNS simply transfers the inquiry to system WINS. As WINS dynamic and computers are registered in database WINS in WINS there are new IP-addresses which come back DNS. Then DNS reproduces this IP-address as result of inquiry about sanctions of names in DNS. Thus WINS allows to avoid huge work on updating server DNS. WINS is dynamic DNS and in operational systems Win2K and XP.

For configuration DNS so that it used WINS, click the right key of the mouse named zones, choose Properties, and then label WINS Lookup in a dialogue window. Note tag Use WINS Resolution and enter the IP-address of server WINS. It is necessary for you to specify the IP-address even if DHCP, WINS and DNS supports the same server. Now DNS will use WINS as last level by search of names.