Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ns-mx!iowasp.physics.uiowa.edu!maverick.ksu.ksu.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!hellgate.utah.edu!fcom.cc.utah.edu!npd.novell.com!newsun!keith From: keith@ca.excelan.com (Keith Brown) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans Subject: Re: Packet Drivers or NDIS Drivers for Netware Keywords: NDIS,Netware,Drivers Message-ID: <1991Feb22.221957.18674@novell.com> Date: 6 Mar 91 00:07:55 GMT Sender: news@novell.com ( Lines: 55 The News Manager) Nntp-Posting-Host: ca Reply-To: keith@ca.excelan.com (Keith Brown) Organization: Novell, Inc., San Jose, Califonia References: <46945@vrdxhq.verdix.com> Date: Fri, 22 Feb 1991 22:19:57 GMT In article <46945@vrdxhq.verdix.com> king@vrdxhq.verdix.com (Greg King) writes: >Can anyone tell me if Netware supports the NDIS interface spec or >the packet driver spec? Technically we support niether, although in reality NetWare client DOS workstations can be set up to make use of either type of driver. The method for setting up an IPX.COM to use packet drivers is pretty famous (infamous?) but if, like me, you've slept through the last thousand or so postings on the subject then send me some mail and I'll tell you how. I believe FTP software have a packet driver to NDIS converter TSR so that would be the (a?) way to run NetWare client software over NDIS. Our architecture for running multiple protocols at both the client and server side is the Open Datalink Interface (ODI). Many people are under the impression that we are in some way "competing" with both NDIS and the packet driver spec. We're not! The ODI and it's associated API really sits above the simple "send a packet, receive a packet" APIs of both NDIS and the packet drivers. The ODI understands medias and encapsulation methodologies and shields overlying protocols from having to worry about what type of network they are running on. It actually makes perfect sense to build ODI drivers for the NDIS "board" and the packet driver "board". The ODI adds value atop them! Although such drivers may soon exist, we are encouraging board vendors to write "hard wired" ODI drivers. 50 vendors recently attended our first training course on the subject of writing such drivers. Like British Rail, we are getting there :-) >Also what are the basic differences between >Netware 286 and Netware 386? Are different drivers required? > At the server yes. NetWare 386 (now NetWare v3.11) drivers have the ODI architecture. They support multiple overlying protocols on numerous underlying medias using many encapsulation methodologies concurrently (clever stuff this ODI!). NetWare 286 server drivers are not ODI. At DOS workstations there is no difference between NetWare 386 and 286 drivers. You will need to use our ODI drivers at the client if you wish to communicate with NetWare 386 servers over one of our newer supported encapsulations (eg, IPX over Ethernet SNAP) but if your running things ye olde traditional way, you can use ODI drivers, hard wired drivers, packet drivers, NDIS drivers or any other type of driver you can find that can get IPX packets onto a piece of cable! Keith - Keith Brown Phone: (408) 473 8308 Novell San Jose Development Centre Fax: (408) 433 0775 2180 Fortune Dr, San Jose, California 95131 Net: keith@novell.COM