Different results for nslookup on different OS on the same system

[mmccaws2]

oneders wrote:
> Hi
> I used nskookup in WinXP environment.
> I also used nslookup on the same system in Unix environemnt.
> But the result of the nslookup for the same system on different OS were
> different.
> Can anyone please tell me why??
> Thanx
> Shaun

I'm not sure you are ready for this but here it goes:

Microsoft OS uses both WINS and DNS to query name and IP addresses
(Without your awareness, MS tcp/ip stack will determine which it will
use).  Read the docs, but there are configurations options to eliminate
WINS.

use - nbtstat -a <hostname> to query WINS database, don't use FQDN Wins
won't understand it.

use - nbtstat -A <IP address> to query if the WINS database has the
same host name assigned to it as you expect.

If using AD with a third party DNS OR AD with two are more domains and
subdomains, then there may be two or more DNS servers handling
information according to the settings of each DNS server.

The best place is to start by using nslookup or dig's debug mode to see
the queries actually being sent out to the name server.  Then query
each name server for which domains it handles correctly.  I've seen
root AD nameservers that send their queries for internal domains out to
the internet.  So validating how each nameserver handles both internal
and external domains verifies settings work as expected.  

gotta go