Network Operating Systems

As you learned in previous chapters, an operating system is the software that enables you to work with hardware and application programs. A network operating system (NOS ) is a special type of operating system that enables your computer to communicate with other computers over a LAN, over a WAN, or through the Internet. Novell NetWare and Windows NT/2000/Server 2003 are examples of NOSs.

Although Windows NT 4.0/9x/Me/2000/XP are designed primarily as desktop operating systems, they also include NOS features, such as network client options; support for multiple network protocols, such as TCP/IP and others; and file and print sharing for simple networking. They also can be used with networking hardware to build networks without purchasing additional network software.