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Master Browser elections.

We have a single domain comprised of about 15 subnets spread over 13 remote locations. The remote locations connect to the main site via site to site tunnels. There are no servers at the remote sites, just workstations, a switch, and a router. The event viewer on my DC is loaded with MRxSmb entries. The Master Browser is constantly stopping for a Master Browser election. In one case it lost the election to a workstation. Is there a way to insure that my DC is always the Master Browser.

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enriquecadalso

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enriquecadalso

You can get along without master browsers in the subnets of the remote locations, but if connection with the main site they won't be able to see each other in the subnet.

enriquecadalso

I just check the .adm that I use and it is different from the one that is in the EE post I suggested. This is the one I use. When you import the adm file the policy is as shown in the picture. I apply it to the OU that contains all my workstations.

CLASS MACHINE
   CATEGORY "Network"
     KEYNAME "SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Custom"
     POLICY "Disable Participating in Master Browser Election"
        #if VERSION >= 3
        EXPLAIN "Stops this computer from participating in the elections process to store available network nodes."
        #endif
        VALUENAME "DisableBrowserElection"
        VALUEON NUMERIC 1
        VALUEOFF NUMERIC 1
        ACTIONLISTON
           KEYNAME "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser\Parameters"
              VALUENAME "MaintainServerList"
              VALUE "No"
              VALUENAME "IsDomainMaster"
              VALUE "False"
        END ACTIONLISTON
        ACTIONLISTOFF
           KEYNAME "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Browser\Parameters"
              VALUENAME "MaintainServerList"
              VALUE "Yes"
              VALUENAME "IsDomainMaster"
              VALUE "True"
        END ACTIONLISTOFF
     END POLICY; Disable Participating in Master Browser Election
  END CATEGORY; Network

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disablemasterbrowsegpo.JPG

InSearchOf

ASKER

Ok Does having these constant elections add any latency to my network?

enriquecadalso

The election process is made though broadcast messages. It takes time and bandwidth. However the main problem here is that when the master browser election have been won by a workstation (not a server) and the workstation is shutdown the browsing is down in the network.

Before I applied this policy I have been in a problem when this very powerful new laptop was always winning the master browser election in one network segment. The owner of the laptop had great mobility so the network browsing was down most of the time.

InSearchOf

ASKER

OK. Thanks for the info. If I were to configure it so that my DC was the preferred Master Browser and it were to go down would that mean that I would not see any other computers at all? Not 100% sure about the role of the master browser.

SOLUTION

ChiefIT

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ChiefIT

with that said, I don't want to steal any thunder here.

enriquecadalso has provided some cool scripts that, if used right, can prevent clients from trying to take over as domain master browser.

Your servers are already separated from your clients in ADUC. So, if you put these scripts on your client computer's OU, then you just prevent the clients from being domain master browser. What that leaves is your PDCe will win the election as domain master, and the other DCs will be backup master browsers for that site.

great work, enriquecadalso:

InSearchOf

ASKER

Thanks for the helpful info guys. You have been a great help.