Bay Networks Remote Annex User Manual page 76

Appendix A Browsing for Resources on a Microsoft Network
Master Browsers
Subnets
A-2
Remote Annex Server Tools for Windows NT
The Primary Domain Controller (PDC) which provides authentication
for the Domain, serves as the Domain Master Browser (DMB). The DMB
has the responsibility of keeping track of and coordinating all the Master
Browsers in the Domain as well as correlating information from other
domains. The PDC wins the DMB election because it is heavily weighted
by being the PDC.
Master Browsers (MB) are located on each subnet and are responsible
for tracking resources on the subnet. They provide updated subnet
resource lists to the DMB and receive domain resource lists from the
DMB. When a MB first comes up, it broadcasts on the subnet asking all
resources to identify themselves. Resources are required to reply within
30 seconds. New resources should announce their presence to the MB.
The MB also exchanges lists with the DMB. This exchange is repeated
every 15 minutes and when new resources announce themselves on the
subnet. Resources are removed from the list when they either announce
their departure or they fail to respond 3 times to the 15 minute update
query (45 minutes).
There should be one MB for each subnet. If the number of active stations
on a subnet exceeds 32, a backup browser is selected for each 32 stations.
The MB is responsible for keeping the backup browser's browse list up
to date. When a station wants to access a Browser for the first time, it
receives a list (explained below) of all the available browsers on its subnet.
The station caches the location of up to 3 browsers and accesses them in
the future in a random pattern. The browse request load is thereby spread
among the available browsers.
®
User Guide