samba - Jul 1998 - Cross-subnet browsing with multiple domains/workgroups

Hi,

I'm trying to set up browsing across subnets to provide an 
'enterprise'-wide (sorry for the MS term ;-) browse list / Network 
Neighbourhood.

I've read BROWSING.TXT, but I can't see how machines on different
subnets
in different domains/workgroups sync up (using Samba, anyway).

On my local subnet, I've set up a clunky old Linux 386 (Samba 1.9.18p8) 
as the browse master (workgroup = a) and I've got a central server 
(Solaris; Samba 1.9.18p8, too) doing WINS and has a big 'os level' on a 
central point on the network.  The two machines are on different subnets.

I've tried to get the Linux machine to sync up with the central machine 
using 'remote browse sync' but it says that it is not in the same 
workgroup/domain and cannot sync.

The really odd part (to me, anyway) is that the central machine has a big 
browse list which contains the names of domains/workgroups all over 
campus, but no-one else has configured their machines to know about it 
(since it's only experimental) and it would not be reached by normal IP 
subnet broadcast rules.  The central machine also has the name of the 
workgroup which the Linux server mastering.  How does that happen?

Is this is general problem (and I'm missing something / doing something 
wrong) or is it a problem with Samba not being able to pass information 
down for the master browser back to the local browser for different 
(non-local subnets)?

  - Bob


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Bob,
>I'm trying to set up browsing across subnets to provide an 
>'enterprise'-wide (sorry for the MS term ;-) browse list / Network 
>Neighbourhood.
Nice aim.

>I've read BROWSING.TXT, but I can't see how machines on different
subnets
>in different domains/workgroups sync up (using Samba, anyway).

Ah.

Basically, within a subnet it's all done by broadcast and elections, and
then the local masters sync with each other across subnets.

How do they find each other?  using WINS, so its vitally important that
any (and all) machine that are (or could become) master browsers all
point to and register with the same WINS server (or, if you've got a
pair of co-operating NT WINS servers, then both need to be pointed at).


Note, that WINS is _NOT_ invloved directly in browsing, its just a
repository of name-> IP mappings (including e.g. Master Browser names for
each subnet).(how does it get those?  when a machine wins an election it
broadcasts that on its subnet, and it registers it with the WINS
server(s))


One final point, and this can't be over stressed:-



	Samba only supports a single WorkGroup.



Got that?  Samba can only be a member of one workgroup, and that's the
only workgroup for which cross-subnet browsing will work.  There was
once some great work Luke did on a Multi-Workgroup version of Samba, but
it's not been around lately.


>I've tried to get the Linux machine to sync up with the central machine 
>using 'remote browse sync' but it says that it is not in the same 
>workgroup/domain and cannot sync.
I assume the Solaris is box is not in 'a'.

>The really odd part (to me, anyway) is that the central machine has a big 
>browse list which contains the names of domains/workgroups all over 
>campus, but no-one else has configured their machines to know about it 
>(since it's only experimental) and it would not be reached by normal IP 
>subnet broadcast rules.  The central machine also has the name of the 
>workgroup which the Linux server mastering.  How does that happen?
It's a WINS server.  It listens to broadcasts going past it and collates
them.  Also there's a good chance that your Linux box is feedin into the
WINS server the information its picked up.

Finally, (again) an age-old bugbear when debugging Browsing.  Are you
110% certain that your subnets really are broadcast isolated?  Many
routers will forward IP level broadcasts from one subnet into another.


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