Winsock Service Providers
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4/8/2010
There are two basic types of service providers: transport providers and namespace providers.
The following table describes these service provider types.
| Service provider type | Description |
|---|---|
Transport Service Provider |
Software on the local computer that supports one or more protocols. Examples of transport service providers include protocol stacks such as TCP/IP or IPX/SPX For more information, see Transport Service Providers. |
Namespace Service Provider |
Software on the local computer that maps the Winsock namespace Service Provider Interface (SPI) to an existing namespace that is either implemented locally or is accessed through the network. Examples of namespaces are Domain Naming System (DNS) and Windows Internet Name Service (WINS). One namespace can have more than one namespace provider installed on the computer. For more information, see Namespace Provider Architecture. |
Transport and namespace service providers must be registered with Ws2.dll at the time they are installed. Each provider only needs to be registered once as the necessary information is retained in persistent storage.
For information about the Service Provider Interface, including the default service providers, see Winsock Service Provider Interface (SPI).
See Also
Concepts
Transport Service Providers
Summary of Namespace Provider Functions
Name Resolution Division of Responsibilities Between DLL and Service Providers
Name Resolution and Winsock