Open Data-Link Interface

The Open Data-Link Interface (ODI) is an application programming interface (API) for network interface controllers (NICs) developed by Apple and Novell. The API serves the same function as Microsoft and 3COM's Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS). Originally, ODI was written for NetWare and Macintosh environments. Like NDIS, ODI provides rules that establish a vendor-neutral interface between the protocol stack and the adapter driver. It resides in Layer 2, the Data Link layer, of the OSI model. This interface also enables one or more network drivers to support one or more protocol stacks.

See also

• Uniform Driver Interface (UDI)
• Universal Network Device Interface (UNDI)
• PC/TCP Packet Driver
• Virtual Loadable Module (VLM)
• NetWare I/O Subsystem (NIOS)
• Personal NetWare (PNW)
• DR-WebSpyder

Further reading

• Reynders, Deon; Wright, Edwin (2003-10-14). "16.4 Open data dink interface (ODI)". Practical TCP/IP and Ethernet Networking for Industry. Newnes. p. 245. ISBN 978-0-7506-5806-5. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
• Nandhakumar, B. (2011). Dictionary of Computer Networking. Excel Books. pp. 304, 306. ISBN 978-93-5062-035-9. Retrieved 2025-04-01. (self-published?)
• Buchanan, William (2013-11-11). "32.6 Novell Netware Setup". Handbook of Data Communications and Networks. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 342–344. ISBN 978-1-4757-0905-6. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
• Mueller, Scott; Ogletree, Terry; Soper, Mark Edward (2006-05-11). "7. Network Interface Cards". Upgrading and Repairing Networks. Pearson Education. ISBN 978-0-13-271476-1. Retrieved 2025-04-01. (unpaginated)
• Buchanan, William J. (1999-11-11). "11.3 NetWare architecture". Mastering Microsoft Windows, Novell NetWare and UNIX. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 214–217. ISBN 978-1-349-14968-1. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
• Merenbloom, Paul (1993-03-15). "It's time to take another look at your NetWare shell strategy". InfoWorld. 15 (11): 52–53. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
• Fu, Zhi-Jian; Kao, Tai-Wu (March 1997). "The design of a low cost local area network using NetWare". Proceedings the Twenty-Ninth Southeastern Symposium on System Theory. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. pp. 40–43. doi:10.1109/SSST.1997.581575. ISBN 0-8186-7873-9.
• Feibel, Werner (1995). "ODI (Open Data-link Interface)". Novell's complete encyclopedia of networking. San Jose, California: Novell Press. pp. 715–717. ISBN 0782112900. LCCN 94066403.
• Sheldon, Thomas (1994). "Open Data-link Interface (ODI)". LAN TIMES Encyclopedia of Networking. Osborne McGraw-Hill. pp. 666–667. ISBN 9780078819650.
• Niedermiller-Chaffins, Debra (1991). Inside Novell Netware. New Riders Publications. pp. 82–83, 101–103. ISBN 9781562050221.
• Coleman, Pat (2000). Networking Complete (4th ed.). Sybex. pp. 104, 273. ISBN 9780782126105.
• Beheler, Ann (1998). Networking Fundamentals Using Novell NetWare (4.11). Prentice Hall. p. 5. ISBN 9780134098067.
• Zacker, Craig (1998). TCP/IP Administration. Wiley. p. 60. ISBN 9780764531583.