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Use XTI to create C language applications that communicate over a network. By calling XTI functions, a running program (process) can establish a communication link between itself and another process running on a different computer. The two processes can then send data back and forth to each other.
The communication link between the two processes is made possible by software called a ``transport provider.'' The transport provider is responsible for moving data over the network between processes running on different computers. It is also responsible for monitoring error conditions and reporting them appropriately. Examples of transport providers are TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, NetBEUI, and OSI.
One advantage to using XTI is that this interface is not tied to a single transport provider. You can write programs that will run over any one of the transport providers listed above, then port the programs to run over one of the other transport providers with only modest modifications. See ``Transport-specific issues'' for information about those areas that affect how a network program is written that are outside the scope of XTI.
Note that for two processes on two different computers to communicate, compatible implementations of the same transport provider must be running on both systems.