Configuration of the Net-Library

The Net-Library files and IPCs for each network protocol supported by Microsoft SQL Server are listed in the following table. These files are installed automatically using the SQL Server Setup utility on the server side and the SQL Client Configuration Utility on the Windows, Windows NT, MS-DOS, and OS/2 client side. The AUTOEXEC.BAT file is used to load the MS-DOS client Net-Library.

The server-side Net-Library is used by SQL Server and ODS applications. If SQL Server and ODS are on the same computer, ODS uses an alternate pipe.

Table 8.1 shows which files you need when installing SQL Server on various network operating systems with various network protocols. Use the following table to determine exactly which files need to be in place for servers and clients.

You can also use this table for troubleshooting, should there be difficulty in connecting a client workstation to Microsoft SQL Server.

Table 8.1 Server-Side and Client-Side Net-Library Files

Network interface

Network protocol

Network clients supported

Client-side Net-Library

Server-side Net-Library

Comments

Named Pipes

NetBEUI or TCP/IP

LAN Manager, Windows for Workgroups, and Windows NT clients

DBNMPIPE.EXE (MS-DOS), DBNMP3.DLL (Windows), DBNMPP.DLL (OS/2), DBNMPNTW.DLL (Windows NT)

SSNMPNTW.DLL

This network setup provides SQL Server Integrated Security with the Windows NT User Account Database.

NWLink

Windows NT clients

DBNMPNTW.DLL (Windows NT)

SSNMPNTW.DLL

Windows Sockets

TCP/IP

UNIX and MAC clients

Part of SYBASE Open Client

SSMSSOCN.DLL

This configuration provides multiple vendor integration.

PC clients: FTP PC/TCP, HP ARPA Services, Wollongong PathWay, Novell LAN WorkPlace, AT&T® StarGroup, Sun PC-NFS, DEC PATHWORKS (DECnet), Microsoft TCP/IP for LAN Manager, and so on

DBMSSOCN.DLL (Windows NT), DBMSSOC3.DLL (Windows), DBMSSOC.EXE (MS-DOS)

SSMSSOCN.DLL

The corresponding Net-Libraries are available from SYBASE.

Windows Sockets

NWLink (IPX/SPX)

Novell NetWare 3.10+ (MS-DOS and Windows) and OS/2 Requestor, NSD004 (OS/2) clients

DBMSSPX.EXE (DOS), DBMSSPX3.DLL (Windows), DBMSSPXP.DLL (OS/2)

Novell: SSMSSPXN.DLL

The servername is registered with the Novell bindery service.

NWLink

DBMSSPXN.DLL (Windows NT)

VINES Sockets

VINES IP

Banyan VINES, 4.11 (rev.5)+ and Windows NT clients

DBMSVINE.EXE (DOS), DBMSVIN3.DLL (Windows), DBMSVINP.DLL (OS/2), DBMSVINN.DLL (Windows NT)

Banyan VINES: SSMSVINN.DLL

Registers to StreetTalk as the given service. Banyan VINES will automatically handle lookups of partial names or nicknames.


Note NWLink is a Microsoft implementation of the IPX/SPX protocol. Alternative software available through Novell is fully expected sometime in the near future.

Using NetBEUI as the network protocol, the client workstation always uses a broadcast to locate the SQL Server(s) on the network. Also, with TCP/IP the client workstation always uses a broadcast to locate the SQL Server(s), provided that the servername and IP address are not located in the LMHOST file on the workstations.

Novell Connectivity

As shown by Table 8.1, in a Novell NetWare environment, SQL Server requires NWLink (installed through Network Control Panel) and the SSMSSPXN.DLL. This DLL is automatically installed on the server side, with the appropriate Registry entries, when you use SQL Server Setup and choose Change Network Support, then NWLink IPX/SPX.

The following is a sample of what is added to the Registry for Microsoft SQL Server on a Novell Network:



HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SQLServer\Server ListenOn: REG_MULTI_SZ: SSNMPNTW, \\.\pipe\sql\query SSMSSPXN, CORAL (computername)

Windows and OS/2 client workstations require the Novell NetWare 3.10 or higher level of IPX. The SQL Client Configuration Utility that ships with SQL Server is used to specify the default network that the Windows and OS/2 clients will use. By choosing Novell IPX/SPX, the required DBMSSPX3.DLL is automatically installed on the Windows client side, and DBMSSPXP.DLL is installed on the OS/2 client side. This adds the appropriate entries in the WIN.INI file or the OS/2.INI file, respectively.

The following is a sample of what is added to the WIN.INI for Windows clients communicating with Microsoft SQL Server on a Novell Network:



[SQLSERVER] DSQUERY=DBMSSPX3

MS-DOS clients require the same level of IPX that the Windows workstations do. DBMSSPX.EXE must be installed on the MS-DOS computer. This TSR can be loaded either manually or from AUOTEXEC.BAT.

Windows NT client workstations use NWLink, which is installed through Network Control Panel. After installation, use the Client Configuration Utility to specify that the default network is Novell IPX/SPX. This, in turn, installs the required DBMSSPXN.DLL on the Windows NT client side.

The following is a sample Registry entry for Windows NT clients communicating with Microsoft SQL Server on a Novell Network:


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SQLServer\Client\ConnectTo DSQUERY: REG_SZ: DBMSSPXN