DOS LAN Services (DLS) supports a subset of the API functions supported by an OS/2 workstation. Most of the DOS LAN Services API functions are processed on a remote server. API functions that can be processed remotely must include a remote server name parameter to identify where the function is to be run. Attempting to run a remote-only function on a local requester returns NERR_RemoteOnly.

Those functions that can be processed on a local requester must be called with either a NULL server name parameter (defaults to local requester name) or the name assigned the local requester in the format of computername. Attempting to run a local-only function on a remote server returns ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED.

The following sections describe the differences between a call from a DLS and an OS/2 workstation.