Microsoft Windows XP Networking Inside Out

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Chapter 18

Connecting	519
with Windows XP
Connecting
Windows XP
and Novell	523
NetWare
Interconnecting
Windows XP	526
and UNIX/Linux
Connecting
Windows XP to
Apple Macintosh	529
Systems

5: Advanced Networking

Interconnectivity with Other Systems

Early in the history of personal computers, it was known that interoperability among computers is critical for truly effective computing. Coping with incompatibilities between various operating systems and applications has always proven to be a significant challenge to running a smooth network.

The interoperability problem is still an issue today; however, many operating system vendors now include services that enable interoperability with other platforms. Most large organizations today operate heterogeneous networks containing a variety of workstation and server computers running operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Apple’s Mac OS, various versions of UNIX-based operating systems such as Linux, or Novell’s NetWare. However, to enable the sharing of resources and information across these different platforms, there must be common communication mechanisms that enable interoperability across the network.

Microsoft Windows XP Professional includes services that help you solve common interoperability and interconnectivity problems. This chapter explores the Windows XP Professional features that provide these interoperability services.

Connecting with Windows XP

If you are planning on integrating Windows XP into a heterogeneous network, it is important to understand where Windows XP and the other systems match up in terms of supported technology. The next two sections examine the networking protocols and media types that Windows XP supports.

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Supported Networking Protocols

Successfully managing a heterogeneous computing environment depends to a large degree on which networking protocols the environment supports. Some protocols, such as TCP/IP, are supported by all modern operating systems. On the other hand, older protocols, such as IBM’s Systems Network Architecture (SNA) mainframe communication protocol, require specialized third-party software to interconnect non-IBM clients, such as Microsoft Host Integration Server 2000. The following sections discuss the operational features and developmental issues of several common networking protocols.

TCP/IP

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Without a doubt, TCP/IP is the most widely used protocol in the world. In addition to the fact that the Internet depends on Internet Protocol (IP), a wide range of systems make use of the protocol as well. Devices such as mainframes, personal computers, handheld computers, and computer-augmented appliances (like WebTV) all use (or can use) IP to deliver a variety of data. Not only is IP needed to access the Internet, but IP is also very scalable and extremely fast and efficient when properly configured.

Nearly all modern operating systems come with support for the TCP/IP protocol suite. The following list contains the more common operating systems that support this protocol suite.

●Microsoft Windows 9x. All versions.

●Microsoft Windows NT. All versions.

●Microsoft Windows 2000. All versions.

●Windows XP. All versions.

●Novell NetWare 6.x and 5.x.

●Apple Mac OS 8.x and later. Earlier versions had partial support for TCP/IP applications.

●Apple Mac OS X.

●UNIX/Linux. This is a very diverse grouping, but TCP/IP support is widespread.

●Nearly all mainframe operating systems.

Internetwork Packet Exchange/Server Packet Exchange (IPX/SPX)

IPX resides at the Layer 3 location of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model and is a component of the native protocol stack used with the Novell NetWare network operating system. IPX is not as widely supported as TCP/IP. The following operating systems can utilize the IPX protocol for network communications.

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●Windows 9x. All versions.

●Windows NT. All versions.

●Windows 2000. All versions.

●Windows XP. All versions.

●Novell NetWare. All versions.

●UNIX/Linux. IPX/SPX protocol stacks are available for many versions.

Systems Network Architecture

In the early 1970s, IBM developed a suite of network protocols known as the Systems Network Architecture (SNA). This proprietary networking architecture has several components that enable communication on a network that supports mainframe servers and terminals. The SNA architecture mimics the OSI reference model discussed in Chapter 2, “Configuring TCP/IP and Other Protocols.” SNA has a layer model as a design guide and has seven individual layers.

The following operating systems can use the SNA networking protocols:

●Microsoft Windows NT Server. Using the SNA Server product if Data Link Control (DLC) is installed. (DLC is a key protocol in the SNA suite that provides error correction.)

●Windows 2000. Using Host Integration Server, if DLC is installed.

●Novell NetWare. All versions.

●UNIX/Linux. There are SNA add-ons for a variety of versions.

AppleTalk

AppleTalk is the native networking protocol of the operating systems produced by Apple Computer. AppleTalk was originally introduced as a complete set of proprietary network protocols; however, recent versions of Mac OS support a new protocol named AppleShare IP, which relies on the standard TCP/IP protocol as the basis for its file sharing.

The following operating systems can use AppleTalk and AppleShare IP:

●Windows NT. Can serve printers and files to AppleTalk clients using Services for Macintosh; no AppleShare IP support.

●Windows 2000. Supports both AppleTalk and AppleShare IP.

●Novell NetWare. Supports AppleTalk; no AppleShare IP support.

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●UNIX/Linux. Supports both AppleTalk and AppleShare IP.

●Apple Mac OS and Mac OS X.

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Supported Media Types

In addition to logical networking protocols, interoperating systems will need to support the same physical media if they are to interconnect. Because networking devices exist that can be used specifically to bridge differing physical network media, each of these media types will be mentioned briefly. Also, because the bridging of these technologies is possible, it can be assumed that all network-capable operating systems can work with any of the technologies discussed in the following sections.

Token Ring/Fast Token Ring

Token Ring was originally developed by IBM as a critical component of its networking products. Token Ring networks pass a special data package from one host on the network to another. This package is known as a token. The only time a client on the network can transmit is when it is in possession of this token. This communications method ensures that token networks can support large numbers of users and yield a high percentage of successful communications attempts. Token Ring can move data at 4 or 16 Mbps. Fast Token Ring uses new signaling methods to transport data at 100 Mbps.

Ethernet

The Ethernet protocol specifies a physical connection and signaling process. Instead of using the token passing method of Token Ring, Ethernet uses the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) algorithm. This algorithm specifies that a host that wants to communicate must listen on the network for other communicating computers. If no other computers on the network are communicating, the host can begin transmission. Ethernet uses half-duplex communication, meaning that each computer can transmit or receive at any given time, but cannot send and receive simultaneously. Ethernet can transport data at 10 Mbps.

The only practical differences between Ethernet and Fast Ethernet are the signaling used and the presence of full-duplex communication. Higher speeds of 100 Mbps are achieved through the new signaling methods used in Fast Ethernet. The use of full-duplex allows nodes that support this feature to transmit and receive data at the same time.

Gigabit Ethernet uses a third-generation signaling method that increases the speed of Ethernet to 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps). The trade-off is that under many conditions, the distance that a Gigabit Ethernet network can reach is far less than slower Ethernet networks.

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Using Windows XP to Bridge Media

Windows XP supports a wide range of networking technologies. One of its most useful innovations is the Network Bridge feature. Many networks, especially home and small business LANs, use a variety of connection media. This use of differentiated network adapters is a problem unless a method exists for interconnecting them.

In many networks, a specialized device must be purchased and maintained to bridge different types of media. Typically, this is accomplished with some kind of hardware bridge or a router. Fortunately, any computer using Windows XP can be used to provide the same functionality. If the computer has a network adapter for each media type in use, say a Token Ring adapter and an Ethernet adapter, and if the computer is running Windows XP, the Network Bridge feature in Windows XP can connect the networks via software, negating the need to buy sometimes expensive hardware bridging devices. To learn how to configure a network bridge using the Windows XP Network Bridge feature, see “Bridging Network Connections,” page 75.

Connecting Windows XP

and Novell NetWare

To make use of the NetWare services included with Windows XP, NWLink (Microsoft’s implementation of IPX/SPX) must be installed along with Client Service for NetWare. Client Service for NetWare provides access to the file and printing services provided by NetWare servers. It allows access to any NetWare server that is using Novell Directory Services (NDS) or Bindery security and using IPX/SPX. This service even allows Windows XP to run NetWare management tools (if installed) and NetWare-aware applications.

The following steps guide you through the installation of both the required components:

1Choose Start, Connect To, Show All Connections to open Network Connections.

2Right-click the Local Area Connection icon and choose Properties.

3Click the Install button.

4The Select Network Component Type dialog box appears, as shown on the next page. Select the Client entry and click Add.

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5In the Select Network Client dialog box that appears, shown next, select Client Service For NetWare and click OK.

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6Client Service for NetWare along with NWLink NetBIOS and NWLink IPX/ SPX Compatible Transport Protocol will be installed and listed on the General tab of the Local Area Connection Properties dialog box. When the installation is complete, you will need to restart the computer for the changes to take effect.

note NWLink NetBIOS is not required for NetWare access; instead, it allows you to use NetBIOS over IPX/SPX to connect to Windows NT 4.0–style domains using that particular network architecture, which is somewhat rare. Unless you’re in such an environment, it’s best to disable all bindings for this protocol.

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caution The 64-bit version of Windows XP does not support Client Service for NetWare (or IPX for that matter). Also, Client Service for NetWare cannot be used to connect to a NetWare 5.x server that is operating in native IP mode. A third-party tool, such as

Novell’s Client for NetWare, which can be downloaded from http://support.novell.com, is required to connect Windows XP to a Novell network under either of these conditions.

Configuring Client Service for NetWare

There are three configuration options within Client Service for NetWare that bear examining. Within the CSNW utility, you can specify the preferred server, the default tree and context, and the printing options.

If you are connecting to a NetWare Bindery–based resource, such as a NetWare 3.x or earlier server (or a newer NetWare server running Bindery emulation), you’ll need to configure the preferred server as follows:

1Open Control Panel and double-click the CSNW icon.

2In the Client Service For NetWare dialog box, in the Select Preferred Server text box, type the name of your preferred NetWare server, as shown in Figure 18-1.

Figure 18-1. Enter the preferred NetWare server.

If, however, you’re using an NDS tree, you’ll need to enter the default tree and context. Open the CSNW utility, select Default Tree And Context, and enter the NetWare tree and context that will be used for accessing the NetWare network.

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Once the client options are properly configured, the Windows XP computer will be able to map local drive letters to volumes shared from the NetWare server. Drive mappings can be made to NetWare volumes just as they can be made to shares on remote Windows network resources, by opening Windows Explorer and choosing Tools, Map Network Drive.

Interconnecting Windows XP

and UNIX/Linux

UNIX has been a staple component of computing since the earliest days of computing. Although UNIX and its derivatives have been used for a dizzying array of functions, it was the rise of a recent variation that brought UNIX to the attention of most computer users. The Linux operating system has garnered a great deal of attention from the media and from IT managers. Although the future of this relatively new operating system is still unclear, it has already become common in many network environments. Fortunately, there are a couple of services available with Windows XP to help integrate the Windows and UNIX operating systems.

Making UNIX/Linux servers provide friendly services to Windows XP clients is generally done by installing and configuring a Server Message Block (SMB) service on the UNIX/Linux server, such as the Samba application. However, the process for installing this application is beyond the scope of this text.

The following sections describe how to configure the services that Windows XP provides for UNIX/Linux integration.

Installing Print Services for UNIX

Print Services for UNIX is the only obvious service that can be added (or removed) from a Windows XP computer. To install UNIX printing services, complete these steps:

1Choose Start, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs.

2When the Add Or Remove Programs window, click the Add/Remove Windows Components button.

3When the Windows Components Wizard appears, select Other Network File And Print Services (but don’t select its check box), and then click the Details button.

4Select Print Services For Unix in the Other Network File And Print Services dialog box, as shown in Figure 18-2. Click OK, and then click Next to install the service. You might be prompted to insert your Windows XP installation CD to complete the installation.

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Figure 18-2. Choose Print Services For Unix and click OK.

Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX

Print Services for UNIX is designed to let a UNIX computer print to a Windows XP computer and any printers it is sharing. In the event that the Windows XP computer is dependant on the services of the UNIX computers, a more robust solution is needed. Microsoft offers a stand-alone product called Windows Services for UNIX (SFU) that provides a wealth of connectivity and cross-platform development and application support tools. SFU version 3.0 provides a large array of cross-platform services that support the integration of new Windows XP and Windows 2000 computers into the existing (UNIX-based) network environment. SFU 3.0 is relatively new and includes some additional significant functionality to the set of components offered by SFU version 2.0.

One of the key differences between SFU versions 2.0 and 3.0 is the availability of the Interix subsystem with the 3.0 installation. The Interix subsystem technology provides an environment where both UNIX and Windows applications can be run from a single operating system platform. This increases the flexibility of a Windows-based computer that is in use in a primarily UNIX-based network environment. In particular, a user who is familiar with the Windows environment will not have to learn the somewhat cryptic commands often present in a pure UNIX environment.

The Interix subsystem creates an environment that is layered on top of the Windows kernel. This behavior enables UNIX applications and scripts to be easily ported with a recompilation to run on a Windows computer. SFU 3.0 also includes approximately 300 UNIX utilities and tools that will be familiar to veteran UNIX users. These

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