The Win32 Network Management APIs 1

 

 

Intro

 

The network management functions provide the ability to manage user accounts and network resources. Many of the capabilities provided by the network management functions are not provided by other networking functions. However, if the capabilities are provided by another set of functions, the documentation for the network management functions will refer you to other functions you can use for the same task.

 

Run-Time Requirements

 

The network management functions can be used on all Windows platforms. Where certain implementations or capabilities of network management platform restrictions do exist, they are clearly noted in the documentation.

 

What's New in Network Management?

 

 

 

Windows 7

 

Microsoft Windows 7 introduces new Network Management programming elements. These elements extend the capability of Network Management to allow offline domain join operations when provisioning computers with Windows 7. The following are new Network Management functions:

 

1. NetProvisionComputerAccount().
2. NetRequestOfflineDomainJoin().

 

The following existing Network Management functions were enhanced to support additional options: NetJoinDomain().

 

Windows Server 2003

 

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 introduces new Network Management programming elements. These elements extend the capability of Network Management operations on Windows Server 2003 and later. The following are new Network Management functions: NetLogonSetServiceBits().

 

Windows XP

 

Microsoft Windows XP introduces new Network Management programming elements. These elements extend the capability of Network Management operations on Windows XP and later. The following are new Network Management functions:

 

1. NetAddAlternateComputerName()
2. NetEnumerateComputerNames()
3. NetRemoveAlternateComputerName()
4. NetSetPrimaryComputerName()
5. SetNetScheduleAccountInformation()

 

The network management functions allow you to manage network shares as Windows Explorer and the Net command do. You can also manage user accounts as User Manager does.

 

Network Management Function Groups

 

The network management functions can be divided into the following groups:

 

1. Alert functions
2. ApiBuffer functions
3. Directory Service functions
4. Distributed File System (Dfs) functions
5. Get functions
6. Group functions
7. Local group functions
8. Message functions
9. NetFile functions
10. Remote Utility functions
11. Replicator functions
12. Schedule functions
13. Server functions
14. Server and workstation transport functions
15. Session functions
16. Share functions
17. Statistics functions
18. Use functions
19. User functions
20. User modal functions
21. Workstation and workstation user functions

 

If you are programming for Active Directory, you may be able to call certain ADSI interface methods to achieve the same functionality you can achieve by calling certain network management functions. The system also provides a network-independent set of network functions (WNet functions) that allow network functions to work across different network vendors' products. If your application could be converted to use a WNet function, you should perform the conversion. There are reasons to make the change:

 

1. The WNet functions are network independent, while the network management functions work only on Microsoft networks.
2. Some of the functions may not be supported in future releases of Microsoft operating systems if they have been superseded. Microsoft does not plan to remove specific functions unless equivalent or better functionality is available.

 

 

 

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