In addition to Windows-based networking, Windows NT supports network interoperability with computers running a wide range of operating systems and network protocols. This support makes it easy to incorporate computers running Windows NT into existing networks so you can take advantage of the advanced features of Windows NT without disrupting your enterprise.
The networking architecture of Windows NT is protocol-independent, providing standard interfaces for applications—such as Windows Sockets, remote procedure calls (RPC), and NetBIOS—and device drivers. Besides making it easier to implement a particular protocol stack for Windows NT, this architecture also enables a Windows NT computer to run multiple protocols on a single network adapter card. As a result, a Windows NT computer can simultaneously communicate with a number of different network systems.
Of particular interest to most network administrators is how to provide access by and to computers running Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server in the following environments:
This chapter provides an overview of some of the issues and benefits involved in using Windows NT computers in these environments.