Virtual LAN interface for high-speed communications between heterogeneous computer systems

Methods and apparatus that enable a first network protocol provider, executing on a first computer system, and a second network protocol provider, executing on a second computer system which is directly interconnected to the first computer system, to communicate at high speed, with low latency, over the interconnection therebetween such that both systems may use their native mechanisms to communicate with each other without change in those mechanisms, rather than over conventional network communication paths such as Ethernet. An interconnection couples the input/output (I/O) subsystem of the first computer system to the I/O subsystem of the second computer system such data can be transmitted between the systems, and a virtual LAN ("VLAN") device driver executing on the second computer system provides an interface between the interconnection and the native communications mechanisms of the second computer system. The VLAN simulates a conventional network driver such as an NDIS Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) network interface card (NIC) Miniport driver to the transport protocol driver TCPIP.SYS on the second computer system and exchanges data with the first computer system via a particular line of a LAN station group for delivery to and receipt from the first computer system.