RFC 1791 (rfc1791) - Page 1 of 12
TCP And UDP Over IPX Networks With Fixed Path MTU
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group T. Sung
Request for Comments: 1791 Novell, Inc.
Category: Experimental April 1995
TCP And UDP Over IPX Networks With Fixed Path MTU
Status of this Memo
This document defines an Experimental Protocol for the Internet
community. This does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.
Discussion and suggestions for improvement are requested.
Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
IESG Note:
Internet Engineering Steering Group comment from the Area Director
for Transport Services: Please note well that this memo is an
individual product of the author. Implementation experience,
particularly on the effectiveness of the protocols in dual-stack
environments, is needed.
1. Introduction
Most of network applications run on some sort of transports. And, if
one is to let such applications to run over a foreign network
protocol, the simplest way would be to allow the applications'
transports to run over that network protocol. For TCP/IP
applications, that transport is TCP or UDP. Hence, to let TCP/IP
applications run over IPX, we would need to have TCP and UDP run
over IPX. And, once TCP and UDP are allowed to run over IPX, all TCP
and UDP based applications, such as HTTP for WWW, or NFS, can easily
be made to work over IPX networks.
DLsw is another example of such applications. As it is a TCP
application (and TCP requires IP), the administrator is forced to run
IP on his network in order to support DLsw. If the site was an IPX
shop, it means that he now must manage IP protocol/addresses in
addition to IPX. If TCP could be made to run on IPX, then he would
not have to add IP to his repertoire of network protocols to manage.
TCP/IPX allows TCP/IP applications to run over IPX networks by
letting TCP and UDP run over IPX. And this memo specifies the packet
format and operational procedures for running TCP and UDP over IPX.
Sung