Choosing Client/Server Network Protocols

SNA Server clients can communicate through a number of different LAN protocols: Microsoft Networking (Named Pipes), IPX/SPX (the protocol used with NetWare), TCP/IP, Banyan VINES IP, or AppleTalk. The network software and the SNA Server software must be installed correctly on both clients and servers for them to handle different protocols correctly. Correct installation ensures two essential aspects of communication:

• That SNA Server computers and clients are "visible" to each other on the LAN. This results when the network software is installed correctly on all affected computers.

• That SNA Server computers communicate with clients over the correct LAN protocol, and that clients direct their communication to the correct subdomain name or (for some clients using Microsoft Networking or TCP/IP) to one or more correct server names. With Banyan VINES, servers and clients must also use the same StreetTalk group name.

TCP/IP is quickly becoming the standard network protocol for client-server applications. Its high performance and routability make it suitable for many WAN environments. In many cases, TCP/IP will be the best protocol choice for your network, especially if TCP/IP is already deployed to some degree in the LAN segment on which the SNA Server servers and clients reside.

If you deploy TCP/IP, it is recommended that SNA Server IP addresses are assigned, as it is easier to administer client workstations that have a fixed SNA Server address. For SNA Server clients, DHCP or some other dynamic IP address allocation service can be used without difficulty.