How NW5 Clients locate NW Services.
(Last modified: 08Jul2005)
This document (10018391) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.
goal
How NW5 Clients locate NW Services.
fact
Novell Client 3.1 for Windows 95/98
Novell Client 3.2 for Windows 95/98
Novell Client 4.7 for Windows NT/2000
Novell Client 4.6 SP2 for Windows NT
Formerly TID 2952823
fix
Traditional NetWare Clients that shipped with NetWare 4.11 could only locate NetWare servers using SAP, NDS, or Bindery Name Space Providers. With the introduction of NetWare 5 and NCP over IP technology, the NetWare Client can now locate a NetWare Service through several new methods such as a Host file, SLP, or DNS. The NCP over IP NetWare 5 technology allows a NetWare Client to use the TCP/IP protocol stack (UDP or TCP) to both locate and communicate with a NetWare 5 Server, whereas previous versions of NetWare Servers could only respond to NCP requests on the IPX protocol. This document gives brief information on each Name Space (NS) Providers. The following NS Providers are available on the Novell Client for Windows 95/98 version 3.0 and higher and the Novell Client for Windows NT version 4.50 and higher.
Host File (NT) / NWHOST (95/98)
NDS - This NS Provider method can be used with both the TCPIP and IPX protocol. This can be used to reference any object in NDS. Common examples of how this is used include the following:
1. Capturing a port to the NDS fully distinguished name (i.e. CAPTURE .Print_Q.Dept.Location.Company).
2. Mapping a drive to the NDS fully distinguished name (i.e. MAP K:=.Volume.Dept.Location.Company).
SLP - This NS Provider method can only be used with the TCPIP protocol. It is used to locate a NetWare (or other non-NetWare service that conforms to the RFC standards for SLP) Service from either a Directory Agent (DA) or the Server Agent (SA) that contains the service. The use of SLP with a DA will SIGNIFICANTLY reduce service traffic overhead in large enterprise environments when compared to traditional RIP/SAP methods. For more information on SLP refer to the following TIDs:
TID 10025313 - Frequently Asked Questions about SLP
TID 10014396 - "SLP Terms and Configuration Reference"
TID 10014467 - "Configuring a LAN/WAN infrastructure for SLP"
TID 10027163 - "Configuring SLP for a NetWare Server
TID 10062474 - "SLP Design and Implementation Guidelines"
DNS - This NS Provider method can only be used with the TCPIP protocol. NetWare 5 server names can be registered with the subnet's DNS. The advantage of this is that NetWare 5 Clients (version 3.0 or higher for Win95/98 and version 4.5 or higher for WinNT) can locate a NetWare 5 Server using DNS resolution. Typically the DNS NS Provider method is only used if the Host File, NDS, SLP methods fail to locate the service name (See the Note below). Most environments will either use the SLP or NDS method, but DNS can be a great fault tolerance strategy to provide at least 2 NS Provider methods that should allow the Client to be able locate the NetWare 5 Server.
The NetWare 5 Client will search the domain the Client is registered and any DNS domains specified in the "Domain Suffix Search Order". It is suggested that NetWare 5 Clients have an entry in the "Domain Suffic Search Order" field for DNS domains that their local NetWare 5 servers have been registered in (don't need add DNS domains on the "Client's Domain Suffix Search Order" if the Client does not need to communicate to the NetWare 5 Servers registered in the DNS domain).
Using a fully qualified DNS name for a NetWare 5 server will allow the Client to locate/communicate with the NetWare 5 server, even if the Client does not have the DNS Domain that the NetWare 5 Server was registerd listed in their "Domain Suffix Search Order". If the Domain the NetWare 5 Server registered in was Division.Company.Com and the NetWare 5 Server host name is NW5_FS1 then a UNC request for \\NW5_FS.Division.Company.Com\SYS would successfully connect to the SYS volume provided the user's credentials grant them sufficient file system rights.
DHCP - This NS Provider method can only be used with the TCPIP protocol. The Client will issue a DHCP INFORM request. The DHCP Tags the Novell Client is looking for in the DHCP INFORM request are:
85 - Preferred Server
86 - Preferred Tree
87 - Name Context
The DHCP NS Provider method is typically only used during the bootup process to find an initial NetWare server to communicate with. It is not used for locating services once an NDS connection has been made to a NetWare server.
Bindery - This NS Provider method can only be used with the IPX protocol. NetWare Clients will issue an NCP request to read the NET ADDRESS property of an object that is supposed to be a NetWare Server. This will be successful if the Server name exists in the bindery or bindery context/emulation of the server that the NCP request was sent to. In a 4.x network, this will be successful if the server the NCP request was set to has a bindery context set for the NDS context where the requested Server object exists. If this is the method that successfully locates the NetWare server, then the connection will be on the IPX protocol and will be a Bindery connection (not an NDS connection) This will have significant repercussions on advanced client functionality. Advanced features such as ZENworks Policies, NAL Applications, and NDPS will be disabled for this connection/session.
SAP - This NS Provider method can only be used with the IPX protocol. This method has not changed for many years. If this is for the initial connection, the Client will first issue a Get Nearest Directory Server (GNDS - SAP 0278) or Get Nearest Server (GNS - SAP 0004). If the responses the Client receives does not contain the preferred server/tree, then the Client will issue a Get General Service (GGS) for either the 0278 or 0004 SAP type. For SAP queries other that the Client's initial connection, the Get Service will have the specific SAP type requested (i.e. 0107 for RCONSOLE). All routing devices (including NetWare Servers) who can hear this request should respond if they have the requested SAP entries in their tables. Many routers will issue the Get Service with a SAP type of FFFF when they first power up. This request will force all other routing devices to reply with all SAP entries in their tables.
document
| Document Title: | How NW5 Clients locate NW Services. |
| Document ID: | 10018391 |
| Solution ID: | 1.0.33514035.2352165 |
| Creation Date: | 06Oct1999 |
| Modified Date: | 08Jul2005 |
| Novell Product Class: | Groupware NetWare Novell BorderManager Services |
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