Networking overview

IPX/SPX

SCO IPX/SPX provides a means of connecting SCO OpenServer systems and NetWare networks. The following protocols are supported:

IPX

IPX is a datagram service protocol which allows individual packets to be sent to and received from user processes. IPX is a connectionless service; it does not support the concept of a connection or reliable delivery. However, guaranteed services like SPX have been built on top of IPX. IPX is used in situations where a guaranteed service is not required or where an occasional lost packet is not critical.

For more information, see ``Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX)''.

SPX

SPX is a connection-based, reliable, sequenced transport protocol which provides both guaranteed packet delivery and flow control. Packets are received in order by the destination endpoint and the speed at which the sending and receiving processes manipulate packets is regulated.

SAP

SAP (Service Advertising Protocol) is a method by which networks can advertise available network services. SAP allows service nodes (such as file servers, print servers, and application servers) to advertise their services and addresses. The SAP daemon uses the SAP protocol to advertise these services.

For more information, see ``Service Advertising Protocol (SAP)''

RIP

The Routing Information Protocol (RIP) facilitates the exchange of routing information on a NetWare network. For more information, see ``Routing Information Protocol (RIP)''.

NVT

The Novell Virtual Terminal (NVT) protocol is a guaranteed-delivery, connection-oriented protocol. It is built on top of IPX and uses IPX to send packets and receive positive acknowledgments of packet delivery.

IPX/SPX end-user commands

Several IPX/SPX commands, described in detail on their manual pages, provide end users with networking capabilities:

IPX/SPX Commands

Command Purpose

dnvt(PADM) monitor connections to an NVT server

drouter(PADM) display the contents of the Routing Information table

getlan(PADM) display information about IPX/SPX and LLI interfaces

ipx(PADM) start, stop, or restart the IPX/SPX protocols and the NVT server

nlogin(PADM) enable remote login via IPX and NVT

nping(PADM) test the network connection to a host

rrouter(PADM) clear and update the Routing Information table

showsvcs(PADM) monitor and/or validate network names, addresses, and services

track(PADM) test the operation of the SAP daemon

Command	Purpose
dnvt(PADM)	monitor connections to an NVT server
drouter(PADM)	display the contents of the Routing Information table
getlan(PADM)	display information about IPX/SPX and LLI interfaces
ipx(PADM)	start, stop, or restart the IPX/SPX protocols and the NVT server
nlogin(PADM)	enable remote login via IPX and NVT
nping(PADM)	test the network connection to a host
rrouter(PADM)	clear and update the Routing Information table
showsvcs(PADM)	monitor and/or validate network names, addresses, and services
track(PADM)	test the operation of the SAP daemon

Configuring IPX/SPX

To configure IPX/SPX, you must:

establish physical connections (serial or otherwise)
configure networking drivers -- for more information, see ``Configuring network hardware''
configure the IPX/SPX stack over a networking driver by using the Network Configuration Manager to set these parameters:
- maximum number of simultaneous NVT login connections
- internal network number by which a server is addressed
- network number by which the network segment is addressed
- framing type performed by the network adapter driver
confirm default advanced settings
enable terminal emulation software
configure SCO Gateway for NetWare services -- see ``Accessing NetWare servers with SCO Gateway for NetWare''

Administering IPX/SPX

IPX/SPX administration consists of:

monitoring and modifying routing information.
monitoring and modifying server information.
troubleshooting IPX/SPX.