What is SAP & Network Resource

What is SAP ? ( Service Advertising Protocol )

This is a Novell Protocol . This SAP is under IPX protocol .

This protocol is used to advertise ( inform other client ) the availability of the network resources.

Network resources = file server , print server , AD etc .

Example , File Server ,or Print Server use SAP to advertise their availability to clients on the network .

That’s mean , this protocol helping file/print Server to inform any client on the network, telling all these clients , they ( print/file server ) are available and the client can access them ( print/file) servers .

SAP , periodically advertise the address of the server and the types of the services it can provide to the clients .

The file server is using SAP protocol to advertise .

SAP broadcast this information to all the workstations/clients on the local network ( LAN) .

Example:
Just like KFC have to advertise to all people inside the Megamall to tell them that there is a KFC inside the Megamall , so, once the people inside the Megamall knowing that KFC is inside the Megamall , they can go to KFC . If KFC never "advertise" , noone inside the Megamall know that the KFC is inside the megamall and the people inside the megamall wouldn't go and visit KFC

Router within/inside the LAN is helping to forward all these information to all the clients to tell them that there are some file server , print server are available inside this LAN .

What is Network Resource ?

Any volume ( disk volume ) ( AD ) , folder ( shared folder ) , application ( shared application program ) or devices ( like print server , file server / FTP server , web server ) that the users need access to .

Any resource that the user can use for certain purpose .

Resouce = something is useful for user and user can use this resource to achieve certain purpose . Just like user need Print Server to print , user need File Server because user need to read or download some files from File Server