Question : Name Resolution

In Domain Network Environment ( Microsoft System)  :-
On command line , when we type  PING ab.xyz.local , there is a reply inclusive of IP Address .
ab.xyz.local is a Host Name ( FQDN) .

In Workgroup Environment ( Microsoft System) :-
On command line , when we type   PING computer1 , there is a reply inclusive IP Address .
"computer1" is a Computer Name .

To me , there are some protocol help to resolve the Name to IP Address on above examples .

To Resolve Host Name to IP Address , is using DNS Server . When DNS Server is  down ,and we  PING ab.xyz.local, it will fail , am I right ?

To resolve Computer Name to IP Address , I suppose it should use WINS Server .
In Workgroup environment , without WINS Server and DHCP Server present in this network ,if there are 2 XP Pro computers can PING each other with " computer name "  like  PING Computer1 .  Which protocol resolve this computer name ??  ( once we "ping computer1" , the reply inclusive IP Address , I suppose specific protocol has resolved computer name to IP addrsss ? )

What I am confused is :- without WINS SERVER present , for XP Pro systems , which protocol resolve Computer Name to IP Address ??


   

Answer : Name Resolution

1.

NetBIOS - Enabled by default
WINS - Requires you to get a server, install the service and set everyone up to use it

2.

WINS, as a server, can only be installed under the server OS, so 2003 has it as an option (as does 2008). You're right though, manual installation.

Both XP and 2003 can use WINS as a client to help them with NetBIOS name resolution (not all servers would need the WINS server itself installed).

3.

Separate WINS server.

In a simple way WINS is like DNS. It's a server with a list of names, and it can reply to clients with those. WINS, in the same way as DNS, must be installed as a service for anyone to make use of it.

Chris