IBM 09-0572-000 - Manual (Page 94)

G LOSSARY 3
NET.CFG
An ASCII file containing control information for network
protocol elements of stations and servers for a Novell
NetWare environment.
Network
A series of nodes such as PCs, terminals, or other peripherals
interconnected by a communications channel.
Network adapter
A circuit board located inside each PC and server on the
network. It allows the device to listen and talk to other
stations and nodes on the network.
ODI
Open Data-link Interface. A MAC-level specification
developed by Novell and Apple

Computer. Like NDIS, the
ODI driver supports multiple protocols and adapters and can
be unloaded from memory to conserve conventional DOS
RAM space.
Protocol
A formalized set of rules that PCs use to communicate.
Because of the complexity of communications between PCs
and the need for different communication requirements,
protocols have been divided into modular layers, in which
each layer performs a specific function for the layer above.
Protocol layers
A model for describing the hierarchical set of or levels
protocols in which each protocol layer obtains services from
the layer below it and performs services for the layer above it.
PROTOCOL.INI
An ASCII file containing control information for network
protocol elements of NDIS network stations and servers.
Token ring
A network that employs a ring topology and uses a
token-passing method for ring access.