Explanation of Gateway Services for NetWare

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GSNW Details

A Server Message Block (SMB) request can come from a variety of Microsoft Networking clients over a variety of network transport protocols. For example, the Microsoft client could be a Windows NT client using Remote Access Service (RAS) to dial into the network or a Windows for Workgroups client attached directly on the network, either using IPX/SPX, TCP/IP, or NetBEUI.

When an SMB request reaches the Windows NTAS file gateway machine, it is initially picked up by the Windows NT Server Service (SRV.SYS) [1].

         --------------------------------------------
         |      Windows NTAS GSNW Gateway           |
         --------------------------------------------
                            |
                            |
--------------------------------------------------------------------

      ---------------------------
[1]   |  SMB file I/O request:  |        -----------------------
      |  open ,create, delete   |----->  | outgoing NCP packet | ---->
      |                         |        -----------------------
      |    Properties:          |
      | share name= \\KOACH     |
      | file path= \SYS\DATA    |
      | file name = MYDATA.DAT  |
      ---------------------------
      |                         |
      |       Transport         |
      |                         |
      ---------------------------
				

The MS Networking client sends out the SMB request. If the request is a file manipulation request (a request that requires a file handle to be returned), SRV.SYS uses the above share name, file path, and file name to open the file object [2].

            |------------------------------------------|
            |      Windows NTAS GSNW Gateway           |
            --------------------------------------------
                               |
                               |
     ---------------------------------------------------------
     |        [2]                                 [3]        |
     |   -----------------             -------------------   |
     |   |    SRV.SYS    |             |    NWRDR.SYS    |   |
     |   -----------------             -------------------   |
     ---------------------------------------------------------
                               |
                               |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
incoming SMB packet ----->        outgoing NCP packet ----------->

In the example above, the object name is \device\nwrdr\koach\sys\data\mydata.dat. SRV.SYS calls the Windows NT API NTCreateFile, passing the object name. The Windows NT I/O manager uses the file object name to call into NWRDR.SYS [3], passing NWRDR.SYS information on the security token of the object that sent the SMB. Based on the security token, NWRDR.SYS determines if the request was from a local account or a remote request. If the request was a remote request, NWRDR.SYS uses the gateway credentials when sending the file manipulation NCP to the NetWare file server [4].

            |------------------------------------------|
            |      Windows NTAS GSNW Gateway           |
            --------------------------------------------
                               |
                               |
----------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------               ----------------------------
| Incoming SMB Packet | ---->         |  NCP file I/O request:   |
|                     |               |  open, create, delete    |[4]
-----------------------               |                          |
<WWBLOCKQUOTE>
                                      |    Properties:           | -->
                                      |  share name= \\KOACH     |
                                      |  file path = \SYS\DAT    |
                                      |  file name = \MYDATA.DAT |
                                      |                          |
                                      ----------------------------
                                      |           IPX            |
                                      ----------------------------
				

NWRDR.SYS returns the file handle to the Windows NT I/O manager, which then returns the file handle to SRV.SYS. Further SMB traffic related to this file manipulation request (for example, if the file manipulation request was to open a file for reading) will be sent directly to NWRDR.SYS by SRV.SYS using the file handle.

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