Microsoft KB Archive/103955

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Overview: SMB Structure is Standard Vehicle for Requests

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Q103955

The redirector's primary function is to format remote requests so that they can be understood by a remote station (such as a file server) and send them on their way through the network.

The redirector uses the server message block (SMB) structure as the standard vehicle for sending these requests. The SMB is also the vehicle by which the remote station returns responses to redirector requests.

Each SMB contains a header consisting of the command code (which specifies the task that the redirector wants the remote station to perform) and several environment and parameter fields (which specify how the command is to be carried out).

In addition to the SMB header, the last field in the SMB may contain up to 64K of data to be sent to the remote station.

SMB structure, environment, commands and associated protocols are documented in the publications below.