TCP/IP and the Windows NT Network Architecture

The architecture of the Microsoft Windows NT operating system with integrated networking is protocol-independent. This architecture, illustrated in Figure 2.2, provides application, file, print, and other services over any network protocol that supports the transport driver interface (TDI). The protocols package network requests for applications in their respective formats and send the requests to the appropriate network adapter by means of the network device interface specification (NDIS) interface. NDIS allows multiple network protocols to reside over a wide variety of network adapters and media types.

Figure 31.2 Architectural Model of Windows NT with TCP/IP

Under the Windows NT transport-independent architecture, TCP/IP is a suite of protocols that can be used to offer Windows-based networking capabilities. The TCP/IP protocols give Windows NT, Windows for Workgroups, and LAN Manager computers transparent access to each other and enable communication with non-Microsoft systems in the enterprise network.