Description
Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)
Complete Definition
Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) is a NetBIOS name resolution service that allows client computers to register their NetBIOS names and IP addresses in a dynamic, distributed database and to resolve the NetBIOS names of network resources to their IP addresses.
WINS is needed in any Microsoft Windows network environment that includes operating systems or applications that rely on NetBIOS.
This dynamic mapping facility has been diminished in it's install base, as more networks have left enabling "NetBIOS" in lue of straight IP and using the DDNS for dynamic mapping into DNS instead.
Other Definitions
Wikipedia WINS definition
References
1. What is WINS? - WINS and DNS. Microsoft TechNet(2003-03-28).
Also See