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- Chapter 1
- Introduction
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- This document is a Theory of Operations for NetWare 386.
- Its purpose is to give network system supervisors, MIS
- people, developers, and users a detailed introduction to
- the major components and overall design of NetWare 386,
- v3.0 and v3.1. It includes information on NetWare
- Loadable Modules (NLMs), Open Data-Link Interface
- specifications, the NetWare STREAMS implementation,
- NetWare 386 Directory and File Security attributes, etc.
-
- These and other NetWare 386 components and services
- combine to make NetWare 386 an open server platform and
- the solution to a wide variety of networking needs. Open
- Data-Link Interface specifications and the STREAMS
- environment combined with NLMs allow media and protocol
- independence and an overall versatility that extend
- server capability. Thus NetWare 386 offers more potential
- for developers and more freedom of choice for managers
- and users who want networking solutions tailored to
- specific situations. This document explains the
- components and design considerations of NetWare 386 in
- enough detail to enable managers, developers, and users
- to accurately understand and evaluate NetWare 386.
-
- A significant difference between NetWare 386 and previous
- versions of NetWare is that NetWare 386 takes advantage
- of the Intel 80386 chip. Some of these advantages are
- listed in the following graphic.
-
-
- ----------------------------------------------
- NETWARE 386 Takes Advantage fo the 80386 CPU
-
- * Protected Mode
-
- * 32-bit Instructions
-
- * 32-bit Data Paths
-
- * No Memory Segmentation
-
- ----------------------------------------------
-
- The NetWare 386 operating system also uses the 80386
- environment to feature a long list of enhancements.
-
- ------------------------------------------------
- NetWare Supports
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- * 4 GB Physical Memory (Theoretical)
-
- * Potential of 4,000 Concurrent Connections
- (The current NetWare 3.0 version of the
- shell limits access to 250 concurrent
- connections.)
-
- * 100,000 Open Files
-
- * Dynamic Memory Configuration for directory
- cache blocks, routing buffers, maximum
- number of open files, etc.
-
- * 32 Volumes with one volume capable of
- spanning 32 hard disks.
-
- ------------------------------------------------
-
- Perhaps the most significant enhancement, however, is
- that NetWare is now an open server platform to which a
- network supervisor can easily add customized enhancements
- or services. These enhancements include
- communication/service protocols, file and directory
- systems, naming conventions, LAN drivers, and other value
- added services--all suited to a particular environment
- or situation.
-
- The pieces or tools from which a customized server is
- built are NetWare 386 Loadable Modules (NLMs). An NLM is
- code that you write and then load into server memory to
- become an integral part of NetWare. You can write NLMs
- to add a variety of services to the NetWare server
- platform, depending upon your needs.
-
- One component that contributes to making NetWare 386 an
- open server platform on which NLMs are built is a set of
- specifications called Open Data-Link Interface. These
- specifications allow multiple communication protocols
- such as IPX/SPX, TCP/IP, and AppleTalk to share the same
- driver and adapter. LAN Driver NLMs written to the Open
- Data-Link Interface specifications allow you to choose
- from among a variety of adapters supporting different
- networking environments.
-
- Thus, you can use NetWare 386 as a foundation to build
- a server environment with features important to you; the
- open system architecture offers you the potential to
- customize your own networking solutions. For example,
- NetWare 386 offers the enhancements and services
- important to a basic networking platform, yet it no
- longer limits you to one communication/service protocol
- combination such as IPX/NCP. The limitation of one file
- and directory naming convention such as DOS is also
- eliminated since NetWare 386 allows Macintosh Name
- Support. And with NetWare 386 v3.1, the limitation of one
- file system such as the NetWare file system will also be
- eliminated.