Understanding the NetWare Client Software
The NetWare Protocols and Transports
The targeting ability of IPXODI is important but, by itself, does not guarantee successful delivery of a data transmission.
IPXODI transmits data packets as datagrams
SPX Protocol
SPX (Sequenced Packet Exchange) is a protocol within IPXODI that is derived from the Novell IPX protocol using the Xerox Sequenced Packet protocol. It enhances IPX by supervising data sent out across the network.
SPX verifies and acknowledges successful packet delivery to any network destination by requesting a verification that the data was received.
Within this verification must be a value that matches the value calculated from the data before transmission. So SPX ensures not only that the data packet arrived, but that it arrived intact.
SPX can track a single data transmission or data transmissions consisting of a series of separate packets. If an acknowledgment request brings no response within a specified time, SPX retransmits it.
After a reasonable number of retransmissions fail to return a positive acknowledgment, SPX assumes the connection has failed and warns the operator of the failure.
TCP/IP Protocol
The Novell Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) software (the TCP/IP.EXE file) provides communication between NetWare (IPX) networks across an IP internet that does not directly support IPX. This is known as IPX/IP tunneling.
NetWare TCP/IP also provides a transport interface for