| DirectX SDK |
The service provider architecture of DirectPlay insulates the application from the underlying network it is running on. The application can query DirectPlay for specific capabilities of the underlying network, such as latency and bandwidth, and adjust its communications accordingly.
The following diagram illustrates the DirectPlay service provider architecture.
The first step in using DirectPlay is to select which service provider to use. The service provider determines what type of network or protocol will be used for communications. The protocol can range from TCP/IP over the Internet, to an IPX local area network, to a serial cable connection between two computers.
The applications uses the service provider to make a connection to a point on the network. The user may need to provide additional information to make a connection, or the application can specify the connection parameters.
Further information on the architecture of DirectPlay is given in the following topics: