1.2 AD namespaces

Windows NT Server 4.0 uses a flat namespace, meaning that the names of domains do not reflect a hierarchical naming structure that represents the geographical or business organization of the company. The names of domains in Windows NT Server 4.0 are based on the NetBIOS convention and can be up to 15 alphanumeric characters long. Windows NT Server 4.0 uses Windows Naming Service (WINS) to resolve NetBIOS names intoInternet Protocol (IP) addresses. NetBIOS names can also be used to refer to services on the network, such as directory shares or printer shares.

While WINS is the primary name resolution service in Windows NT Server 4.0, DNS is used to resolve IP-based host names for applications such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or Telnet software.

DNS today is configured via static files containing information about server or host computers. Administrators are required to create or update details manually about the hosts in the domain they manage. WINS, on the other hand, is updated automatically at system boot. WINS requires only that the NetBIOS name requested by the system be unique on the network.

The Windows 2000 namespace is hierarchical. This fact has a tremendous impact on the roles of services such as DNS and WINS. DNS becomes the primary name service for Windows 2000, which implements a new version of DNS called Dynamic DNS, or DDNS, to overcome the management limitations of classic DNS. DDNS also takes advantage of a new feature, SRV records (discussed later in this...