Understanding - Novell NetWare 6 Manual

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Understanding

This section describes the processes and protocols that govern Internetwork
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Packet Exchange (IPX ) routing in the NetWare networking
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environment. In particular, it examines the mechanics of IPX packet routing
and the administration of routing and service information on an IPX
internetwork.
Each NetWare protocol plays a different role in enabling a NetWare router to
perform its tasks. Media access control (MAC) protocols and IPX provide the
addressing mechanism that delivers packets to their destination. The Routing
Information Protocol (RIP), Service Advertising Protocol (SAP), and
NetWare Link Services Protocol (NLSP ) protocols provide the means by
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which routers gather routing and service information and share it with other
routers on an internetwork.
Although the NetWare Core Protocol (NCP ) software does not play a
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direct role in routing, it does provide session control and packet-level error
checking between NetWare workstations and routers. Similarly, the
Sequenced Packet Exchange (SPX ) protocol neither routes packets nor
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advertises service information, but guarantees delivery of each packet to its
destination.
Figure 1 on page 12 shows how the NetWare protocols correspond to the Open
Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model. Because this model
represents only a basic framework for networking functionality, not all
NetWare protocols fit neatly into a single functional layer.
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Understanding