Windows XP / DNS Queries

[Mark Broyd]

I run a network consisting of Windows 2000 Server, and a mix of Windows 2000
/ XP desktops.

We access an https service external to our main office, which runs perfectly
OK on the Windows 2000 desktops. However, on the XP machines, the
application runs much slower. Other https sites seem to work OK on the XP
machines, so this led me to performing a sniff on the network.

Comparing the network traces of the Windows 2000 and XP systems I found just
one difference in that the XP systems are attempting an SRV query 3 times as
follows;

"Standard query SRV
_kerberos._tcp.Default-First-Site-Name._sites.dc._msdcs.www.abc.com"

Later on in the trace, the above query is responded to with "Standard query
response, Server failure", however the XP systems are still able to access
the web page. We have tried adding an entry for the web site in to the
hosts file, but this does not make any difference.

My thinking so far is that the performance problem on the XP systems is due
to the SRV query being attempted. I guess what I need to find out is what
exactly is different between XP and Win2K in this respect and how to change
XP's behaviour. Any help would be appreciated.

Many thanks
Mark

[Malke]

Mark Broyd wrote:

> I run a network consisting of Windows 2000 Server, and a mix of
> Windows 2000 / XP desktops.
>
> We access an https service external to our main office, which runs
> perfectly
> OK on the Windows 2000 desktops. However, on the XP machines, the
> application runs much slower. Other https sites seem to work OK on
> the XP machines, so this led me to performing a sniff on the network.
>
> Comparing the network traces of the Windows 2000 and XP systems I
> found just one difference in that the XP systems are attempting an SRV
> query 3 times as follows;
>
> "Standard query SRV
> _kerberos._tcp.Default-First-Site-Name._sites.dc._msdcs.www.abc.com"
>
> Later on in the trace, the above query is responded to with "Standard
> query response, Server failure", however the XP systems are still able
> to access
> the web page. We have tried adding an entry for the web site in to
> the hosts file, but this does not make any difference.
>
> My thinking so far is that the performance problem on the XP systems
> is due
> to the SRV query being attempted. I guess what I need to find out is
> what exactly is different between XP and Win2K in this respect and how
> to change
> XP's behaviour. Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Many thanks
> Mark

Mark, if you don't get an answer here (and I'm afraid I don't have one),
try one of the MS server newsgroups. The regular posters there are
sysadmin gods and can certainly answer you. Here's a link to a list of
the MS newsgroups: http://aumha.org/nntp.htm

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"