The Database as a Networked Server - Implementing Database Security and Auditing - page 74

2. Network communications use the Super-socket primary netlib.

The Super-socket netlib uses secondary netlibs in one of two
ways:

If you choose TCP/IP or NWLINK IPX/SPX, the Super-
socket netlib connects directly using a Windows socket API.

If you use Named Pipes, Virtual Interface Architecture (VIA)
SAN, Multiprotocol, AppleTalk, or Banyan VINES, the
Super-socket netlib calls the netlib router, loads the secondary
netlib for the chosen protocol, and routes all netlib calls to it.

By the way, if you have a Sybase environment, you can probably see that
the resemblance is striking. SQL Server was originally Sybase on NT (co-
developed by Microsoft and Sybase), and the networking layers are all based
on the original Sybase networking layers—so the SQL Server and Sybase
networking architectures are very similar.
You can disable and enable the various networking options using the
Server Network Utility, as shown in Figure 3.7. If you click the Network
Libraries tab, you will see the dynamic link libraries (DLLs) used as the pri-
mary and secondary netlibs. The General tab allows you to select the pre-
cise set of netlibs with which the server will work. For each protocol you

Figure 3.7
Using the SQL
Server Network
Utility to enable or
disable protocol
support.