[comp.dcom.sys.cisco] novell net numbering

chen@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Bill Chen) (06/08/91)

Would someone out there who understands the whole business of Novell
(3.1) internal net numbers and external net numbers and also how this
stuff interacts with ciscos give a summary of how it works?

I seem to see internal numbers showing up on the routers, but that
doesn't seem to match the definition Novell gives of what those net
numbers are supposed to be.

In case it makes a difference, we run 8.1(14) cisco sftwre.

Thanks.

Bill Chen
Columbia University

wobrien@hanama.webo.dg.com (Walt O'Brien) (06/08/91)

> 
> 
> Would someone out there who understands the whole business of Novell
> (3.1) internal net numbers and external net numbers and also how this
> stuff interacts with ciscos give a summary of how it works?

Network numbers are used by netware to do routing.  Think of network
numbers like internet subnet addresses.  Netware runs a routing
information protocol (RIP) which works much like TCP/IP rip.  It allows
gateways to advertize what networks are reachable via it.

External network numbers are network numbers associated with physical
cables.  Netware does have the notion of more than one network 
number associated with a physical cable but that is only using
different frame types.  For example, you can have one network number
associated with novell using 802.3 frames on a lan and a separate one
for novell using ethernet_ii (type 8137) frames on the lan.

The "host" portion of a netware address is generally the ethernet
address of the board and thus only the network number is assigned by
the user.

Prior to 386 netware and portable netware this was about all you needed
to know.  With 386 netware, they introduced the notion of internal
network numbers.  These numbers are logical networks to which the
netware services are connected.  Thus, the file and printing services
on 386 and portable netware servers are on the internal logical network
and route to that network via the physical network to which the file
server is connected.  The "host" portion of the netware address for
file servers on internal networks is generally "1".

FYI,
	Walt


> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Bill Chen
> Columbia University
> 


-- 
Walt O'Brien 			Walt_OBrien@dg.com
Data General Corp. 		{world}!mcnc!rti!dg-rtp!Walt_OBrien
Westboro, Ma (508)-870-6001	 Fax (508)-898-2785

forster@cisco.com (Jim Forster) (06/08/91)

Bill,

The best explanation of Novell routing I've seen is in the "Netware
Application Notes", Sept. 90 issue.


  -- Jim