Microsoft KB Archive/99887

= Information on NWLink =

Article ID: 99887

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
 * Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition

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This article was previously published under Q99887



This article briefly discusses NWLink. It is divided into these parts:
 * What is NWLink?
 * What Isn't NWLink?
 * Implementation of NWLink

What is NWLink?
The goal of NWLink is to supply added value for ISVs and other accounts who would like to use Windows NT as an application server with current MS-DOS, Windows, or OS/2 NetWare clients (for applications such as SQL Server, SNA Server, and RPC supporting SPX and Novell NetBIOS over IPX). In addition, NWLink supports the Novell NetBIOS protocol. There are also NetBIOS enhancements (sliding windows and flow control, for example) to make Windows NT to Windows NT sessions more efficient (if this is the only Windows NT transport being used).

What Isn't NWLink?
Novell is offering a Windows NT client that can speak to NetWare servers. NWLink does not provide this functionality; it is just the transport. It does not support the ability to do remote file and print I/O (which would require an additional layer above NWLink supporting NCPs).

Novell's offering does not allow NetWare clients to use Windows NT as an application server, nor does it support Novell NetBIOS. At this time, their client does not support Windows sockets that are compatible with Novell's NWIPXSPC APIs. Novell plans to add this support soon.

Implementation of NWLink
NWLink is a streams-based transport (similar to TCP/IP and NDIS compatible) that supports:
 * Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, and Arcnet topologies
 * IPX, SPX, Novell NetBIOS, and enhanced Novell NetBIOS protocols
 * NetBIOS and Windows Sockets (IPX and SPX) APIs
 * MIPS and Intel platforms
 * Multiprocessor awareness
 * Portability

NWLink does not support NCP as Novell's solution does.

Additional query words: prodnt

Keywords: kbnetwork KB99887

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