Internet Firewall Support in SNA Server

ID: Q139508

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft SNA Server, version 2.11

SUMMARY

This article discusses how SNA Server supports Internet Firewalls, including instructions on the following:

  • How to allow SNA Server clients and SNA Servers to interoperate with screening routers, where the client does know the address of the SNA Server(s).


  • How to allow SNA Server clients and SNA Servers to interoperate with full-blown Internet firewalls, where the end user is not allowed to know the IP address of the SNA Server(s).


OVERVIEW

SNA Server can be configured to use specific software port numbers. Specific port numbers are commonly defined in software components to allow administrators of Internet firewalls to filter packets based on port number, thereby denying/accepting their propagation to the private network. By assigning specific destination port numbers to SNA Server components, SNA Server can interoperate with screening routers and full-blown firewalls to meet the requirement that users of the public network should not know the IP address of the SNA Server.

I. SNA Server Clients and SNA Servers Interoperation with Screening Routers (Client knows the address of the SNA Server)

The following are the instructions on how to allow SNA Server clients and SNA Servers to interoperate with screening routers, where the client does know the address of the SNA Server(s).

Destination port numbers are configurable in SNA Server on the following platforms:
  • Windows NT


  • Windows 95


  • Windows 3.x


The following transport protocols can be used:
  • TCP/IP


  • IPX/SPX


  • Vines IP


Each transport has the following three components that can have administrator defined destination ports assigned to them:
  • DatagramPort.

    This port is used for datagram (mostly broadcast or multicast) traffic. Use the Server Broadcasts dialog in SNA Server Admin to control which transport is used for Server to Server communication.


  • SnaBasePort.

    This is the port where the server SnaBase listens for new client sponsor connections. Sponsor connections are used by the SNA Server client to learn about the SNA Server subdomain in which it participates.


  • SnaServerPort.

    This is the port where the SNASERVR.EXE waits for new application session requests.


NOTE: These parameters are configured on the SNA Server side to control what port numbers the SnaBase and SNAServr processes use.

The default values for destination port numbers are: 

   Port            TCP/IP   IPX/SPX     Vines
   --------------------------------------------
   DatagramPort    1478     0x84C8      381
   SnaBasePort     1478     0x84C8      381
   SnaServerPort   1477     0x84C9      dynamic
There is no need to change any of these ports except when it is necessary to run each SNA Server service and SNABase service with a unique port number. It is the administrator[ASCII 146]s responsibility to make sure that the ports are not used by other applications on the network.

NOTE: The DatagramPort must be the same in every server in a subdomain.

On Windows NT, the ports are configured in the registry under the subtree HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE under the subkey: 

   System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SnaBase\Parameters\<transport>\
where <transport> is SnaTcp, SnaSpx, or SnaVines.

Add the following value name under the <transport> subkey:
Value Name: <port>
Data Type: REG_DWORD
where <port> is DatagramPort or SnaBasePort.

On Windows 95, the ports are configured in the registry under the subtree HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE under the subkey: 

   Software\Microsoft\SnaBase\Parameters\<transport>\
where <transport> is SnaTcp, SnaSpx, or SnaVines.

Add the following value name under the <transport> subkey:
Value Name: <port>
Data Type: REG_DWORD
where <port> is DatagramPort or SnaBasePort.

On Windows 3.x, the ports are configured in the WIN.INI file under the [WNAP] section: 

   [WNAP]
   <port>=<value>
where <port> is DatagramPort or SnaBasePort and value is the port number either in decimal or hexadecimal notation.

Remote TCP/IP Clients

For TCP/IP it is not enough just to add one SnaBasePort number to the WIN.INI file or registry in Windows NT or Windows 95. Because every SNA Server in the subdomain is potentially using a different destination port number, every sponsor server requires its own entry. To make this possible, the port names can be prefixed with a server name. For example, if the SnaBase service on the server Server_A is using destination port 1234 and the server Server_B is using destination port number 5678, you need to add the following entries into the WIN.INI file or registry:

Windows NT or Windows 95 registry: 

   Server_ASnaBasePort:REG_DWORD:1234
   Server_BSnaBasePort:REG_DWORD:5678
Windows 3.x WIN.INI file: 

   Server_ASnaBasePort=1234
   Server_BSnaBasePort=5678
The clients get the SnaServer ports through the sponsor connection. On IPX/SPX and Vines IP, the clients get the SnaBase ports from the NetWare bindery and Vines StreetTalk respectively. There is no need to configure any port numbers on these two client types.

OtherServers

When you use the OtherServers parameter, use the following convention in the WIN.INI file under the [WNAP] section: 

   [WNAP]
   <server_nameX>SnaServerPort=3333
   <server_nameY>SnaServerPort=4444
You still need to include the following entry in this section: 

   Otherservers=<server_nameX> <servernameY>

II. SNA Server Clients and SNA Servers Interoperation with Full-Blown Internet firewalls (Client Cannot Know the IP address of the SNA Server(s))

The following are the instructions on how to allow SNA Server clients and SNA Servers to interoperate with full-blown Internet firewalls, where the client is not allowed to know the IP address of the SNA Server(s).

First, follow directions in section I. above. Then, add the following entry to the respective platform:

Windows NT:

  1. In the registry, go to the subtree HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE under the following subkey: 
    
System\CurrentControlSet\Services\SnaBase\Parameters\SnaTcp\


  2. Add the following information: 
    
   Value Name: FireWall
   Data Type:  REG_MULTI_SZ
   Data:       <list of firewall IP addresses>


Windows 95:
  1. In the registry, go to the subtree HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE under the following subkey: 
    
Software\Microsoft\SnaBase\Parameters\SnaTcp\


  2. Add the following information: 
    
   Value Name: FireWall
   Data Type:  REG_SZ
   Data:       <list of firewall IP addresses>


    Note: The list can be separated by spaces, commas, or semicolons.


Windows 3.x:
  1. Add the following information in the WIN.INI file under the [WNAP] section: 
    
      [WNAP]
      FireWall =<list of firewall IP addresses>


The SNA Server IP transport replaces the real destination IP address with a firewall address when it opens a connection to an SNA Server for both application sessions or sponsor connection.

Microsoft has updated the following files:
LIBS\WIN32\SNAIP.DLL
LIBS\WIN32\SNANW.DLL
LIBS\WIN32\SNABV.DLL
LIBS\WIN95\SNACIP.DLL
LIBS\WIN95\SNACNW.DLL
LIBS\WIN95\SNACBV.DLL
EXE\WIN16\IPCLI.DLL
EXE\WIN16\NWCLI.DLL
EXE\WIN16\BVCLI.DLL
EXE\TWIN16\IPCLI.DLL
EXE\TWIN16\NWCLI.DLL
EXE\TWIN16\BVCLI.DLL


STATUS

This feature is included in the latest U.S. Service Pack for SNA Server for Windows NT, version 2.11. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

S E R V P A C K

Additional query words: prodsna 2.11 snafaq

Keywords : ntnetserv
Version : WINDOWS:2.11
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: October 1, 1999
© 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.