What's a Master Browser for?
Gary Hasler
the post on my newsreader to see if anyone answered, so...
Every time I shut down a WinNT 4 machine, the next time I start it up I get
2 Event Viewer messages:
"A Master Browser election occurred because a Master Browser was shut
down..." (or similar)..
one message for each network protocol? I've looked on a few FAQ sites and
a library book, but I can't figure out if this is a bad thing, or if it's
something I shouldn't worry about.
Can I disable the "Master Browser" somehow; if I do will it speed up the
startup/shutdown process, which seems rather slow now? I have 2 WinNT4
workstn machines & 1 Win 95, on Netbui & TCP/IP only.
--
------To reply by e-mail, remove the letters .."junk" from my address------
Matt Goodrich
Gary Hasler <ga...@junctionjunk.net> wrote in message
news:01bf863c$738f63c0$8ae3a6c7@marketing...
> I asked this question a couple of days ago, but now I can't seem to find
> the post on my newsreader to see if anyone answered, so...
>
> Every time I shut down a WinNT 4 machine, the next time I start it up I get
> 2 Event Viewer messages:
> "A Master Browser election occurred because a Master Browser was shut
> down..." (or similar)..
> one message for each network protocol? I've looked on a few FAQ sites and
> a library book, but I can't figure out if this is a bad thing, or if it's
> something I shouldn't worry about.
>
> Can I disable the "Master Browser" somehow; if I do will it speed up the
> startup/shutdown process, which seems rather slow now? I have 2 WinNT4
> workstn machines & 1 Win 95, on Netbui & TCP/IP only.
This is normal. The browser service is what makes Network Neighborhood
work. If you disable it on all computers NN won't work.
--
HTH
Matt (E-mail address is invalid)
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin
Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
pinc...@my-deja.com
"Gary Hasler" <ga...@junctionjunk.net> wrote:
> I asked this question a couple of days ago, but now I can't seem to
find
> the post on my newsreader to see if anyone answered, so...
>
> Every time I shut down a WinNT 4 machine, the next time I start it up
I get
> 2 Event Viewer messages:
> "A Master Browser election occurred because a Master Browser was shut
> down..." (or similar)..
> one message for each network protocol? I've looked on a few FAQ
sites and
> a library book, but I can't figure out if this is a bad thing, or if
it's
> something I shouldn't worry about.
>
> Can I disable the "Master Browser" somehow; if I do will it speed up
the
> startup/shutdown process, which seems rather slow now? I have 2
WinNT4
> workstn machines & 1 Win 95, on Netbui & TCP/IP only.
This is normal. On a MS network one system will be designated the
Browse Master. The Browse Master is the system on the network that
holds the list of all the names of the systems on the network so browse
the network you can view them.
There is a heirarchy of what systems can be designated Browse Master in
the order of; Domain Controller, Backup Domain Controller, Stand alone
NT Server, NT Workstation, all other Windows OS's.
When your system starts up it notifies the network that a NT4
Workstation is here and then posts an election message. In the
election, the system that's the greatest in importance (in the
heirarchy) and has been running the longest will become or continue to
be Browse Master.
If your system could never become a Browse Master or you don't care you
can disable the Browser Service and save memory and boot time. The
only problem with shutting down the Browsing service is that if you
don't have a Browse Master the system has to query the entire network
for all the NetBIOS names. In a small network such as yours it
wouldn't pose any great problem.
cheers.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Neil
<snip completely reasonable, correct info!>
> The
> only problem with shutting down the Browsing service is that if you
> don't have a Browse Master the system has to query the entire network
> for all the NetBIOS names.
That's not true. The Browse Master (any of them) aren't used for
name-resolution. Your system may broadcast or "query the entire network" for
all / any netbios names, regardless of whether you have a correctly
configured browser environment.
Without any browse masters, you simply wouldn't have a browse list.
Which is quite a seperate concept from name resolution.
> In a small network such as yours it
> wouldn't pose any great problem.
Browse masters are only important / relevant if you have a need to browse
the network, or browse for resources. That said, there's probably a whole
degree of benign issues and minor errors that would probably occur if there
were no browse masters.
Neil
pinc...@my-deja.com
"Neil" <n_bra...@bigfoothiddenspamtrap.com> wrote:
> <pinc...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:8a0t13
$3ms$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> <snip completely reasonable, correct info!>
>
> > The
> > only problem with shutting down the Browsing service is that if you
> > don't have a Browse Master the system has to query the entire
network
> > for all the NetBIOS names.
>
> That's not true. The Browse Master (any of them) aren't used for
> name-resolution. Your system may broadcast or "query the entire
network" for
> all / any netbios names, regardless of whether you have a correctly
> configured browser environment.
>
> Without any browse masters, you simply wouldn't have a browse list.
>
> Which is quite a seperate concept from name resolution.
>
I just looked it up and your right, Neil. I guess there is only so
much I can rely on my memory.
> > In a small network such as yours it
> > wouldn't pose any great problem.
>
> Browse masters are only important / relevant if you have a need to
browse
> the network, or browse for resources. That said, there's probably a
whole
> degree of benign issues and minor errors that would probably occur if
there
> were no browse masters.
>
According to what I've read in the Resource Kit there shouldn't be any
problem other than the time for your system to build the list itself.
But you never can tell. On my home network I have all the browsing
services disabled. The only minor problem is that Network
Neighbourhood is empty when I browse. But you can certainly dig into
the network and find everything.
Gary Hasler
it sounds like it might be an okay idea to disable it; all I can do is try
and see what happens!
(famous last words).