Data-Link Switching (DLSw) is a

tunneling protocol In computer networks, a tunneling protocol is a communication protocol which allows for the movement of data from one network to another. It involves allowing private network communications to be sent across a public network (such as the Internet ...

designed to tunnel unroutable, non-IP based protocols such as IBM

Systems Network Architecture Systems Network Architecture (SNA) is IBM's proprietary networking architecture, created in 1974. It is a complete protocol stack for interconnecting computers and their resources. SNA describes formats and protocols but, in itself, is not a pi ...

(SNA) and NBF over an IP network. DLSw was initially documented in IETF RFC 1434 in 1993. In 1995 it was further documented in the IETF RFC 1795. DLSw version 2 was presented in 1997 in IETF RFC 2166 as an improvement to RFC 1795.

Cisco Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, ...

Systems has its own proprietary extensions to DLSw in DLSw+. According to Cisco, DLSw+ is 100% IETF RFC 1795 compliant but includes some proprietary extensions that can be used when both devices are Cisco. Some organisations are starting to replace DLSw tunneling with the more modern

Enterprise Extender Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterprise ...

(EE) protocol which is a feature of IBM APPN on z/OS systems. Microsoft refers to EE as IPDLC. Enterprise Extender uses UDP traffic at the

transport layer In computer networking, the transport layer is a conceptual division of methods in the layered architecture of protocols in the network stack in the Internet protocol suite and the OSI model. The protocols of this layer provide end-to-end ...

rather than the

network layer In the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking, the network layer is layer 3. The network layer is responsible for packet forwarding including routing through intermediate routers. Functions The network layer provides the means of transfe ...

. Cisco deploy Enterprise Extender on their hardware via the IOS feature known as SNAsW (SNA Switch).

References

External links

RFC 1434 Data Link Switching: Switch-to-Switch Protocol
Tunneling protocols Data-Link Switching {{network-stub

See also

References

External links