Windows 2000 Professional does only support connections to NetWare networks
running bindery security or NDS. This functionality will work if Client Services
for Netware (CSNW) is installed. When installing CSNW, the NWLink protocol
(Microsoft's implementation of IPX/SPX) is automatically installed.
After installing CSNW, the preferred server should be entered when using Netware
3.x. When using NDS or Bindery Services on NetWare 4.x or higher, the name of
the NDS tree and the location where the user object is located in the tree
(context) should be entered. You can also specify if a logon script should run.
The Microsoft client for NetWare does not support connections to a NetWare
server over TCP/IP, however, you can work around this limitation by
installing the Novell NetWare client or by installing IPX on the Netware 5.0
server.
NWLink is Microsoft's NetBios compatible implementation of Novell's IPX/SPX
protocol. It can be installed on all versions of Windows 2000 and runs on the
network- and transport level.
NWLink can be installed separate and is automatically installed with Client
services for NetWare and Gateway services for NetWare. It consist of the
following parts :
The Inter Packet eXchange protocol provides connectionless datagram transfer services via nwlnkipx.sys.
The Sequenced Packet Exchange protocol provides connection-oriented transfer services over IPX via nwlnkspx.sys. The protocol sequences the packets and asks for delivery acknowledgements. If no acknowledgement is received, SPX tries to resend the packet 8 times. In burst mode, multiple packets can be send without sequencing and without requiring an acknowledgement for each packet. This mode is enabled by default in Windows 2000. The differences between SPX and SPXII are :
| SPXII gives the ability to transfer more than one packet before an acknowledgement is received. Clients can negotiate the number of allowed 'outstanding' packets. |
| SPXII allows larger packets. SPX only allowed 576 bytes, SPXII can allow packets as large as allowed by the network. |
The Router Information Protocol is provided via nwlnkipx.sys. Windows 2000 Professional installations or Windows 2000 servers without RRAS can use RIP to maintain a local routing table. When they need to find a route to an IPX network they can send a GetLocalTarget route request to the routers. They will offers paths to the network.
The Service Advertising Protocol is provided via nwlnkipx.sys. For IPX clients it collects and distributes services names and addresses of services on IPX servers. These SAP clients use SAP broadcasts when bindery-based or NetWare domain services queries fail.
Nwlnknb.sys provides NetBIOS services over IPX. Examples of NetBIOS services are NetBIOS datagram services (connectionless), NetBIOS session services (connection-oriented) and NetBIOS name service. (name resolution)
The forwarder (nwlnkfwd.sys) is installed when installing NWLink but only
used when the RRAS service is installed to route IPX networks.
Within NWLink you can customize the following settings :
The frame type tells the network card how to format the data that should be put on the network. When installing NWLink, it will try to auto-detect the frame-type :
| Network Type | Supported Frame Types |
| Ethernet Ethernet II | 802.3,802.2, 802.2 SNAP |
| Token Ring | 802.5 and 802.5 SNAP |
| FDDI | 802.2 and SNAP |
It is possible to change this frame-type. Also an internal- and external network number can be entered .
This is a unique number that represents a specific network and the associated frame type.
The internal network number is used for internal routing when the computer is hosting IPX services. Normally this network number does not have to be changed. You need to change it to another value of 00000000 if you are using :
| FPNW and having multiple frame-types on the same adapter. |
| NWLink on multiple adapters on one machine. |
| Applications that use the SAP protocol over IPX (e.g. SQL, SNA) |
If you set the external network number to 00000000 it will be automatically detected. When no network traffic is detected the frame type is set to 802.2.
You can test the NWLink functionality with via the 'ipxroute config' command.
This is a Novell product that allows users to logon once to the NT- and NetWare environment. If a client has this program (Novell Client 32) installed before an upgrade to Windows 2000, it will be automatically upgraded. All versions before Novell Client 32 version 4.7 will be upgraded to Novell Client 32 version 4.51 during a migration.
This service allows NetWare clients using IPX/SPX to connect to Windows 2000 file- and print services.
Gateway services for Netware creates a gateway between a Windows 2000 server
and a Novell server running Netware 3.2 or higher. (bindery security or NDS
tree) Microsoft clients can use the gateway to access the Novell servers without
installing any additional services or protocols.
You can install GSNW via the properties of the LAN-connection, general-tab,
install, Add client. During this installation, NWLink and Client Services for
NetWare is installed on this server and a Gateway Services for NetWare icon is
add to the Control panel.
To provide the service with a user account to access the Novell server, you have
to add the tree and context when using an account in the NDS tree. When you're
not using NDS, set a preferred server. If you select None for the preferred
server, the nearest available NetWare server will be used. If you do not enter a
preferred server, you have to enter one each time you logon. After the
installation of GSNW, you can also set some print options (add form feed,
default off, notify when printed, default on, print banner, default on) and if
the logon script should run. (default off) The preferred server/default tree and
context can be set at the Gateway Services for NetWare applet at the control
panel.
When the logon settings are entered you can create gateways via the Gateway
button. To do this you need
to create a group called NTGATEWAY on the Novell server and put the account used
by gateway into it. This account can be a NDS or bindery account but use a
bindery account if it should connect to servers running bindery security. When
the account is created it can be used to map a Novell share to an NT drive
letter. To activate a gateway for a printer, use the Add Printer wizard.
After GSNW is installed you can map Novell drives on the server that can be
shared to Microsoft clients. Security can be set on the share or on the account
in the NTGATEWAY group. Gateway services for Netware cannot work with IP installed on a NetWare 5.0
server. It should use IPX via NWLink.
This tools enables migration from Netware bindery or Netware domain services to Windows 2000. Accounts, groups, files and permissions can be exported to an offline database. This database can be modified after which it can be imported in the Windows 2000 environment.
| Netware to Windows 2000 server migration planning guided |
| Windows 2000 professional in a Netware environment |
| Search for 'csnw' in knowledge base |
| Search for 'netware' in knowledge base |
| Search for 'nwlink' in knowledge base |
Last update : 29 June 2001