Overview Documents

This section provides technology overviews for the Windows Protocols documentation set. The technology overviews supplement the technical specifications by describing context, conceptual background, and inter-protocol relationship and interaction information. They provide examples of some common use cases. The technology overviews do not restate the processing rules and other details that are specific for each protocol. Those details are described in the technical specifications for each of the protocols and data structures that belong to the protocols group described in a technology overview document.

Network captures for the examples described in these technology overviews are downloadable as .zip files.

Note The inter-document links in a PDF version of a technology overview document are functional only if all the cross-referenced documents are saved to the same local directory folder. An error message appears if you click a link that references a PDF document that is not located in the same folder (when viewing via your local hard drive) or is part of a different download (when viewing online). To save a complete set of PDF files to the same folder, download the Windows Protocols .zip file. This is a large file and can take a few minutes to download.

Specification	Description
[MS-ADFSOD]: Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationships of the Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) protocols. AD FS provides a means for distributed identification, authentication, and authorization across organizational and platform boundaries. It extends the ability to use single sign-on functionality that is normally available only within a single security or enterprise boundary to Internet-facing applications, which gives customers, partners, and suppliers a streamlined user experience while accessing the web-based applications of an organization. The AD FS protocols that are described in this document provide for tasks such as sharing of authorization codes among groups of AD FS servers, obtaining security tokens for users from security token services, and integrating AD FS with preauthentication proxies. These protocols include [MS-ADFSOAL], [MS-ADFSPIP], [MS-ADFSPP], [MS-ADFSWAP], [MS-MWBE], [MS-MWBF], [MS-OAPX], and [MS-SAMLPR], along with various industry standards. Click here to view this version of the [MS-ADFSOD] PDF.
[MS-ADOD]: Active Directory Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols that make up the client-server and server-to-server behavior of Active Directory. The Active Directory protocols provide directory services for the centralized storage of identity and account information, as well as storage for other forms of data such as group policies and printer location information, a foundation for authentication services in a domain environment, domain services, and directory replication services in Windows. The Active Directory protocols are specified in [LDAP], [MS-ADTS], [MS-SRPL], [MS-DRSR], [MS-SNTP], [MS-LSAD], [MS-LSAT], [MS-DSSP], [MS-SAMR], [MS-SAMS], [MS-WSDS], [WFXR], [WSENUM], [MS-WSTIM], [MS-ADDM], [MS-WSPELD], and [MS-ADCAP]. Click here to view this version of the [MS-ADOD] PDF.
[MS-AUTHSOD]: Authentication Services Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols in the Authentication Services protocols. The Authentication Services protocols verify the identity of users, computers, and services through the interactive logon and network logon authentication processes. Once authenticated, these entities can be authorized to access network resources securely. The Windows client and server operating systems implement a set of authentication protocol standards, such as Kerberos [RFC4120], and their extensions, such as [MS-KILE], as part of an extensible architecture consisting of security support provider (SSP) security packages. Click here to view this version of the [MS-AUTHSOD] PDF.
[MS-AZOD]: Authorization Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the Authorization protocols, which control the process of granting access to resources once authentication has been accomplished. An authenticated request is not sufficient for access by itself; a corresponding decision must also be made to decide if a particular request is authorized. To accomplish this, several authorization models are provided under Windows. This document provides an overview of these models as implemented by [MS-PAC], [MS-AZMP], [MS-GPCAP], [MS-CAPR], [MS-CTA], [MS-DTYP], [MS-ADTS], [MS-COMA], and [MS-TDS]. Click here to view this version of the [MS-AZOD] PDF.
[MS-CCROD]: Content Caching and Retrieval Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols implemented in the Windows Peer Content Caching and Retrieval framework, which includes the protocols specified in [MS-FSCC], [MS-PCCRC], [MS-PCCRD], [MS-PCCRR], [MS-PCHC], [MS-PCCRTP], and [MS-SMB2]. This framework is based on a peer-to-peer discovery and distribution model designed to reduce wide-area-network (WAN) link bandwidth utilization and provide faster content downloads from a local area network (LAN) in a branch office. The Content Caching and Retrieval protocols support scenarios such as accessing content from a file server or a Web server where storing content locally from all locations in a distributed environment is not practical. If the Content Caching and Retrieval of data is unavailable or fails, normal file access would continue without caching using the SMB 2.1 or 3x, HTTP, or HTTPS protocols. Click here to view this version of the [MS-CCROD] PDF.
[MS-CERSOD]: Certificate Services Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols implementing Certificate Services, which includes the certificate enrollment protocols specified in [MS-WCCE], [MS-ICPR], and [MS-WSTEP], the certificate enrollment policy protocols specified in [MS-XCEP] and [MS-CRTD], and the certificate remote administration protocol specified in [MS-CSRA]. Certificate Services protocols are used for certificate enrollment, certificate policy, and remote administration of certificate services. The Certificate Services protocols (except the server role of [MS-XCEP]) operate in two modes: Standalone and Enterprise. Click here to view this version of the [MS-CERSOD] PDF.
[MS-DOCO]: Windows Protocols Documentation Roadmap	Provides an overview of the Windows protocols documentation set. It provides a high-level roadmap for finding and navigating the documentation set and describes the content for each type of document. Click here to view this version of the [MS-DOCO] PDF.
[MS-FASOD]: File Access Services Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the File Access Services (FAS) protocols, which enable network file access and sharing in Windows and allow a client computer to discover, access, and share files that are hosted on, and made available by, another computer. The FAS protocols are specified in [MS-BRWS], [MS-CIFS], [MS-DFSC], [MS-FSA], [MS-FSCC], [MS-RAP], [RFC1094], [RFC1813], [RFC4918], [RFC5661], [MS-SMB], [MS-SMB2], [MS-SMBD], [MS-WDV], [MS-WDVME], and [MS-WDVSE]. Click here to view this version of the [MS-FASOD] PDF.
[MS-FSMOD]: File Services Management Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols used for configuring, managing, and monitoring file services in Windows over the network. The File Services Management protocols include the protocols specified in [MS-FSRM], [MS-WKST], [MS-SRVS], [MS-RAP], [MS-DFSNM], [MS-DFSRH], [MS-FRS2], and [MS-FRS1]. These protocols support scenarios such as share management, DFS namespace management, SMB Server management, SMB network redirector management , file server resource management, and file replication. Click here to view this version of the [MS-FSMOD] PDF.
[MS-GPOD]: Group Policy Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols that implement Group Policy. The Group Policy protocols consist of a set of protocols that are used to create, read, update, and remove Group Policy Objects. The Group Policy protocols enable the Group Policy client to retrieve policy settings from a Group Policy server and enable an Administrative tool to retrieve, create, update, and delete policy settings on a Group Policy server. The base functionality of Group Policy, as described in [MS-GPOL], can be extended through client-side extensions that implement application-specific policy settings, and through Administrative tool extensions that implement authored configuration settings. These extensions to the Group Policy: Core Protocol [MS-GPOL] consist of the protocols specified in [MS-GPAC], [MS-GPDPC], [MS-GPEF], [MS-GPFAS], [MS-GPFR], [MS-GPIPSEC], [MS-GPNRPT], [MS-GPPREF], [MS-GPREG], [MS-GPSB], [MS-GPSCR], [MS-GPSI], and [MS-GPWL]. Click here to view this version of the [MS-GPOD] PDF.
[MS-MQOD]: Message Queuing Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols used for Message Queuing. Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) is a communications service that enables reliable and secure asynchronous messaging between applications over a variety of deployment topologies. The Message Queuing protocols are specified in [MS-MQMQ], [MS-MQDMPR], [MC-MQAC], [MS-MQMP], [MS-MQQB], [MS-MQBR], [MC-MQSRM], [MS-MQCN], [MS-MQMR], [MS-MQSD], [MS-MQDS], [MS-MQDSSM], [MS-MQQP], and [MS-MQRR]. Click here to view this version of the [MS-MQOD] PDF.
[MS-MSSOD]: Media Streaming Server Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols implemented in Media Streaming Windows technologies, which include the protocols specified in [MS-MSB], [MS-MSBD], [MS-MMSP], [MS-WMSP], [MS-RTSP], [MS-WMHTTP], and [MS-WMLOG]. Media Streaming technologies are used to convert both live and prerecorded audio format and to distribute the content over a network or the Internet. The Media Streaming Server technologies support scenarios such as publishing secure content to Media Server, streaming content from Media Server, requesting a license from License Server, and discovering Media Server URLs and log statistics to Media Server. Click here to view this version of the [MS-MSSOD] PDF.
[MS-NAPOD]: Network Access Protection Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols required for Network Access Protection (NAP). NAP extends the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) network access architecture to provide mechanisms for verifying user identities, ensuring proper software configuration of client computers and system states through network access processes, and resolving client remediation problems. The NAP member protocols include [MS-DHCPN], [MS-DHCPM], [MS-HCEP], [MS-IKEE], [MS-PEAP], [MS-RNAP], [MS-TSGU], [MS-WSH], and [TNC-IF-TNCCSPBSoH]. Click here to view this version of the [MS-NAPOD] PDF.
[MS-NETOD]: Microsoft .NET Framework Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the .NET Framework protocols that map to the .NET Framework distributed technologies that enable network communications. This includes the protocols implemented in the Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), identity and directory services, data access, ASP.NET, and .NET Remoting technologies of the .NET Framework. Click here to view this version of the [MS-NETOD] PDF.
[MS-PRSOD]: Print Services Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols in the Print Services system. The Print Services system consists of a distributed system of print servers that manage printers and make them available to print clients. One or more servers may be used, each server independently managing one or more printers. Clients use the component protocols to submit print jobs, manage jobs, receive job notifications, obtain printer drivers, and administer print queues. The Print Services system includes the protocols specified in [MS-CIFS], [MS-EMFSPOOL], [MS-FSCC], [MS-GPDPC], [MS-PAN], [MS-PAR], [MS-RAP], [MS-RPRN], [MS-SMB], [MS-SMB2], and [MS-WPRN]. Click here to view this version of the [MS-PRSOD] PDF.
[MS-RDSOD]: Remote Desktop Services Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols implemented in the Remote Desktop services in Windows, which includes the protocols specified in [MS-RDPBCGR], [MS-TSGU], [MS-TSTS], [MS-TSWP], [MS-RDPEDC], [MS-RDPEGDI], [MS-RDPCR2], [MS-RDPNSC], [MS-RDPRFX], [ MS-RDPEPS], [MS-RDPELE], [MS-RDPECLIP], [MS-RDPEDYC], [MS-RDPEFS], [MS-RDPESP], [MS-RDPEPC], [MS-RDPESC], [MS-RDPEA], [MS-RDPEAI], [MS-RDPEMC], [MS-RDPEPNP], [MS-RDPEUSB], [MS-RDPERP], [MS-RDPEV], [MS-RDPEXPS], [MS-RDPERP], [MS-RDPEUDP],[MS-RDPEGFX], [MS-RDPEMT], [MS-RDPEECO], [MS-RDPEVOR], [MS-RDPEI], and [MS-RDPEAR]. Using the Remote Desktop protocols, a user of a remote client can initiate a user session on a server and then run programs, save files, and use network resources. This supports the hosting of multiple simultaneous user sessions on servers. Remote Desktop protocols support scenarios such as redirecting keyboard, mouse, clipboard, media player content, print jobs, smart card data, and file system data between the RDP client and the server. Click here to view this version of the [MS-RDSOD] PDF.
[MS-RMSOD]: Rights Management Services Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the protocols in the Rights Management Services (RMS) system. The RMS system allows individuals and administrators to encrypt and specify access and usage restrictions on various types of data, including documents and e-mail messages. This helps prevent sensitive information from being accessed and used by unauthorized people. The RMS system includes persistent usage policies, and interacts with systems or applications that create or consume rights protected content. Click here to view this version of the [MS-RMSOD] PDF.
[MS-STOROD]: Storage Services Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the storage services protocols implemented in Windows, which includes the protocols specified in [MS-DMRP], [MS-VDS], [MS-SCMP], [MS-FSRVP], [MS-RSMP], and [MS-EFSR]. The Storage Services protocols provide disk and volume management services, data backup and restore, removable media management, encrypted file access control, and file encryption. They support scenarios such as creating/modifying volumes, configuring HBA ports and iSCSI initiators, creating shadow copies, restoring the shadow copies, creating/deleting media pool, mounting/dismounting media, file encryption/decryption, and providing cryptographic access permissions to encrypted files. Click here to view this version of the [MS-STOROD] PDF.
[MS-TPSOD]: Transaction Processing Services Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the Transaction Processing protocols, which are specified in [MS-DTCO], [MS-CMOM], [MS-DTCM], [MS-TIPP], [MS-DTCLU], [WSAT10], [WSAT11], [MS-WSRVCAT], [MC-DTCXA], [MS-CMP], and [MS-CMPO]. Transaction processing is designed to maintain a computation system in a known, consistent state. It allows multiple individual operations to be linked together as a single, indivisible operation called an atomic transaction. Broadly speaking, transaction processing involves updating data, which may be distributed across multiple systems, so that either all of the changes are processed or none of the changes are processed. Click here to view this version of the [MS-TPSOD] PDF.
[MS-VSOD]: Virtual Storage Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality of and relationship among the virtual storage protocols, which provide a means for a client to access, read, and write to virtual storage (for example, a virtual disk file) on a remote server. Virtual Storage protocols also can provide this functionality to multiple clients by using a shared virtual SCSI disk. Click here to view this version of the [MS-VSOD] PDF.
[MS-WMOD]: Windows Management Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the functionality and relationship of the Windows Management protocols, which are specified in [MS-WMI], [MS-WSMAN], [MS-WSMV], and [MS-PSRP]. The Windows Management protocols provide the ability to control settings and to collect data for a set of client and server computers. These protocols enable a computer to query another system or computer and to perform administrative operations to monitor, troubleshoot, and conduct hardware and software inventories in remote computers. The Windows Management Instrumentation Encoding Version 1.0 [MS-WMIO] is an integral part of the capabilities of the Windows Management Instrumentation Protocol; it specifies a binary data encoding format that is used by this protocol for network communication. Click here to view this version of the [MS-WMOD] PDF.
[MS-WPO]: Windows Protocols Overview	Provides an overview of the Windows interoperability technologies and the protocols required for implementation. It also describes the intended functionality of the Windows interoperability protocols and technologies and provides examples of common user scenarios. Click here to view this version of the [MS-WPO] PDF.
[MS-WSUSOD]: Windows Server Update Services Protocols Overview	Provides a system overview of the protocols in the Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) system. The WSUS system implements the Windows Server Update Services: Client-Server Protocol specified in [MS-WUSP] and the Windows Server Update Services: Server-Server Protocol specified in [MS-WSUSSS]. These protocols enable communication between the Windows Server Update Services client and server to enable clients to discover software updates available on the server. They also enable communication between servers to propagate software update information, the updates, and administrative intent in a hierarchical deployment of the system. Click here to view this version of the [MS-WSUSOD] PDF.