NetWare 4.1/9000 Concepts

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NetWare Glossary
E
NOTE: On Ethernet 802.2, Ethernet II, and Ethernet SNAP cabling systems, stations using
different protocol numbers can coexist, but they cannot communicate directly with
each other. 802.3 raw frames are able to communicate with other frames using an
internal IPX router in the server.
Using the Open Data-Link Interface (ODI) technology on workstations and
DLPI on servers, NetWare Services allows stations with different Ethernet
frame types to coexist on the same Ethernet cabling system, as in the
following figure:
Figure 1-21 Coexisting frame types
Because of ODI’s Multiple Link Interface Driver (MLID) and link support
layer (LSL), a single workstation with one network board can communicate
with other devices using different Ethernet frame types.
Even though there may be only one physical network board in the computer,
the MLID gives the effect of having multiple network boards and multiple
LAN drivers.
Unlike traditional dedicated LAN drivers, the MLID is responsible for
removing the media- (frame-) specific information from the data packets it
receives.
The packets are then passed on to the LSL which functions much like a
switchboard operator, sending the packet to the assigned protocol stack
(such as IPX).
The following figure illustrates the ODI architecture in a multiple Ethernet
frame configuration using IPX protocol.
Ethernet II Ethernet 802.2 Ethernet SNAP Ethernet 802.3
(Raw)
Workstation