I've heard that NetWare/IP is tunneling. Is this true?
Articles and Tips: qna
01 Apr 1996
Q.
I've heard that NetWare/IP is tunneling. Is this true?
A.
NetWare/IP isn't a tunneling technology. "Tunneling" implies that all information is sent through the IP tunnel, whether the information is a broadcast or point-to-point communication. NetWare/IP encapsulates point-to-point information inside a UDP (User Datagram Protocol) packet. Broadcasts are never encapsulated; instead, they are handled directly by a NetWare/IP server or the Domain SAP/RIP Server. Novell determined that by maintaining the IPX header in the NetWare/IP packet, we could ensure maximum backwards compatibility.
As a side note, Microsoft encapsulates a NetBIOS header inside of a TCP packet for their TCP/IP solution. While both the Novell and Microsoft solutions use encapsulation, only Novell has committed to eventually provide a native IP solution by removing the IPX header from the UDP packet. We are currently investigating the possibility of placing NetWare Core Protocol calls within UDP or TCP packets, and this may be implemented in as little as 6 months.
* Originally published in Novell AppNotes
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