Configure Multiple SNA Servers to Use Single Distributed Link

• Microsoft SNA Server for Windows NT versions 2.11 Service Pack 1 and 3.0

SUMMARY

The distributed link service is a feature added in Service Pack 1 for Microsoft SNA Server version 2.11 that allows SNA Servers to be deployed in a new distributed model, which combines the benefits of the branch and central models of deployment. For details on the distributed model and link service, please see the SNA Open Gateway Architecture (SOGA) document.

Information on SOGA can be found in the following locations:

   http://www.microsoft.com/corpinfo/press/1995/95dec/sogapr.htm
   http://www.microsoft.com/sna/soga.htm

MORE INFORMATION

The original SOGA document indicated that a distributed link service could not be used by multiple SNA Servers simultaneously. The intent of this was to prevent you from trying to configure a distributed link service on the local SNA Server for a local connection. A distributed link service can only be used by remote SNA Servers. However, it is possible to have multiple remote systems using a single distributed link service.

To do this, each remote system must be assigned a unique Service Access Point (SAP). SNA SAPs must be a hexadecimal multiple of four and must be defined on both ends of the connection. Assuming you had three remote systems you intended to use the distributed link service, you would use SAPs '04', '08', and '0C'.

The SAPs are defined in the communications line description on the AS/400. Your AS/400 administrator can help you with this. Using the example of three systems, you would add '08' and '0C' to the SAPs already defined on the line. SAP '04' is defined by default.

To set the appropriate SAPs do the following:

For SNA Server 2.x:

- In SNA Server Admin, focus on the Connection, then select the Setup button, and then select the Advanced button. Change the Remote SAP Address to the value you have assigned to that computer. Again, from the three computers example, '04' for the first computer, '08' for the second, and

'0C' for

For SNA Server 3.x:

- In SNA Server Manager, go to the connection properties page for the connection in question and select the Address tab.