NetBIOS
NetBIOS ( Abbreviation for Network Basic Input Output System) is an application programming interface (API ) for communication between two programs over a network.
Development
NetBIOS was developed in 1983 on behalf of IBM by the company Sytek for IBM's PC network as a proprietary hardware solution for networking small work groups.
However, the functions provided by NetBIOS available went beyond mere hardware abstraction, such as those accomplished by the system BIOS, also. In contrast to current network drivers, the function of the delivery of data packets by the respective hardware ( layer 2 ), NetBIOS implemented functions for name resolution, packet-and connection-oriented communication. A direct access at the packet level was not provided in the PC network.
The first network functions in PC -DOS and MS- DOS relied on NetBIOS.
With the transition to standardized networks such as Token Ring and Ethernet, from about 1985, the need to be able to use existing software on the new network was formed. For this, the NetBIOS functions were implemented in an emulation program that accessed his hand to the new packet-oriented network drivers. The protocol used was commonly referred to as NetBIOS, which to this day encountered confusion arose over whether NetBIOS is a protocol or not. The protocol, so the patch directly on layer 2 implementation of NetBIOS, was later referred to as NetBEUI. Absence of corresponding provisions in the protocol it can not be routed, and because the concept of NetBIOS functions it uses quite a lot of broadcasts, and therefore is generally regarded as " chatty " protocol.
The company implemented Novell NetBIOS emulation 1986, which built on the IPX / SPX protocol. In 1987 he was with IBM in RFC 1001 ( Protocol Standard for a NetBIOS Service on a TCP / UDP transport) specified implementation of NetBIOS over TCP / IP protocol, now known as NetBIOS over TCP / IP ( NBT). Both IPX and IP are routable protocols making NetBIOS -based applications were available beyond the borders of small local networks beyond.
By the use of alternative name resolution mechanisms ( WINS, DNS ) the problem of high broadcast volume is achieved.