Since AIX Fast Connect for Windows uses the Microsoft networking protocol, PC clients can access AIX files and printers using their native networking client software. PC users can use remote AIX file systems directly from their machines as if they were locally stored, and they can print jobs on printers using the AIX spool system, view available printers, and map a printer as a network printer.
Fast Connect provides these services by implementing the Server Message Block (SMB) networking protocol on top of the Network Basic Input/Output System (NetBIOS) over the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), based on the Internet Engineering Task Force requests for comments (RFCs) 1001 and 1002.
Important features of Fast Connect include:
Explanation of some common networking terms is given below:
Windows for Workgroups and Windows NT domains maintain the browse list on a computer called the Master Browser. Whenever a computer offers a network service for the first time, it broadcasts a server announcement packet. The Master Browser receives this packet and adds the computer's name to its browse list. In response, the Master Browser transmits a list of backup browsers to the new computer.
Each domain or NT group contains at least one backup browser. A copy of the browse list is maintained on the backup browser to eliminate the need to rebuild the browse list if the Master Browser goes down.
There is no officially defined NetBIOS standard. The original version, as described by IBM in 1984 in the IBM PC Network Technical Reference Manual, is treated as the de facto standard. Since its introduction, three main flavors of NetBIOS--each with its own transport protocol--have emerged: NetBEUI, NetBIOS over IPX, and NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
Fast Connect uses NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
The name space is flat and not hierarchically organized. It uses 16 alphanumeric characters. Names may not start with an asterisk (*).
Registration implies bidding for use of a name. The bid may be for exclusive (unique) or shared (group) ownership. Each application contends with other applications in real time. No two applications on the NetBIOS network may use a unique name until the originating application requests that their name be deleted or the host is powered off or reset.
The three primitive operations provided by Name Service are Add Name, Add Group Name, and Delete Name.
Multiple sessions may exist between any two applications. Both applications participating in the session have access to the name of the remote application. No specification is given for resolving session requests to a group name into a data connection. A service is provided for the detection of a session failure by an application.
The Session Service primitives are Call, Listen, Hang Up, Send, Receive, and Session Status.
Datagrams are sent under cover of a name properly registered to the sender. Datagrams can be sent to a specific name or be explicitly broadcast.
Datagrams sent to an exclusive name are received, if at all, by the holder of that name. Datagrams sent to a group name are multicast to all holders of that name. The sending application can not distinguish between group and unique names and thus must act as if all nonbroadcast datagrams are multicast.
As with the Session Service, the receiver of the datagram is told the sending and receiving names.
The Datagram Service primitives are Send Datagram, Send Broadcast Datagram, Receive Datagram, and Receive Broadcast Datagram.
WINS also includes a method for replicating its database of host names with other WINS servers to create a backup WINS server that can host queries if the primary WINS server is unavailable. It also allows large networks that are encumbered by slow links to distribute WINS servers closer to clients and provide faster name resolution. (WINS is a proprietary Microsoft protocol.)
For more details on the LMHOSTS file, refer to the Windows NT Networking Guide or the Windows 95 Resource Kit.
This design has some significant advantages over NetBEUI and NetBIOS over IPX. First, it uses the existing TCP/IP protocols, so it can be routed across the global Internet and any other wide area networks. Secondly, software implementing the NetBIOS interface can be built using existing TCP/IP implementation without requiring any new network drivers. Since most operating systems already support TCP/IP, most are capable of supporting NetBIOS with minimal additional effort.
With this protocol, clients exchange messages (called Server Message Blocks) with a server to access resources on that server. Every SMB message has a common format: it consists of a fixed-sized header followed by a variable-sized parameter and data component.
SMB messages can be broken into four types:
When an SMB client negotiates a connection with an SMB server, the two parties decide on a common protocol to use for communication. This capability allows protocol extensions but makes SMB quite complex.