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Chapter 8 - StreetTalk Directory Assistance

Overview

Alphanumerically
By the group to which the user, list, or service belongs
By the attributes configured in StreetTalk

Note: If you are familiar with STDA, you should read Managing Users and StreetTalk for more detailed information on the topics discussed in this chapter.

STDA database
User Interface
Services

STDA Database

STDA Classes

Users - User names
Lists - Lists
Print - Print services
Files - File services
Nicks - Nicknames
Other - Services other than print services or file volumes (for example, AFP, asynchronous, 3270 SNA, or Netbios)

STDA User Interface

STDA Services

Figure 8-1. STDA Services on a Network in Download Order

Guidelines

Create as many master services as your Banyan network needs. The size and topology of your network, or the organization of your company, can determine the number of master services. For example, if your company is in several geographical areas, consider creating a master service for each area. You can also create duplicate master services as backups to collect redundant information. All STDA services that are not master services are designated as satellite services.
A server can run only one STDA service, either a master service or a satellite service.
Not all servers on a network need to run an STDA service.

Rebuilding the Database

Schedules

Figure 8-2. Staggered Rebuild Schedule

Note: If you change the default rebuild schedule, it is recommended that you schedule a rebuild in off-hours. Rebuilds are time-consuming, use up StreetTalk resources, and add to network traffic.

Customizing the Database

Planning for STDA

Calculating disk space requirements
Sorting names
Configuring attributes
Locating STDA services on the network
Designating download servers
Scheduling rebuilds
Creating exclusions, exceptions, and inclusions

Calculating Disk Space Requirements

The number of STDA entries in the database of your STDA service
The number and size of attributes configured for STDA database entries
The size of databases of the master and satellite services that your STDA service retrieves data from
Exceptions and exclusions applied to the database (if any)

800 bytes per database entry (name) for storage when no attributes have been defined for an entry
180 bytes per database entry (name) for storage for each attribute defined for the entry
Additional bytes for each attribute representing the size of the attribute when an entry has an attribute defined for it

Sorting Names

Sort on first, last, or middle names
Sort on names while ignoring titles (for example, Jr., Sr., or ESQ.) appended to names
Sort names in languages, such as Spanish, in which the father's last name (patronymic) is not the last section of an item name. For example, STDA can display the following names in alphabetic order:

Carlos Salinas de la Garza
Juan Salinas Lopez Garza
Maria de Jesus Salinas Portillo
Pablo Arquez Spinoza

or in the order of the patronymic names, as follows:

Pablo Arquez Spinoza
Carlos Salinas de la Garza
Juan Salinas Lopez Garza
Maria de Jesus Salinas Portillo

Sort lists in which part of the item name represents a different component of business or organization function. For example, STDA can display the following lists alphabetically by the entire item name:

Sales Corn Chicago@Prod1@WCTUS
Sales Corn Winnipeg@
Prod3@WCTCA
Sales Wheat Chicago
@Prod2@WCTUS
Sales Wheat Winnipeg
@Prod3@WCTCA

or in alphabetical order sorted on the third part of the item name:

Sales Corn Chicago@Prod1@WCTUS
Sales Wheat Chicago@Prod2@WCTUS
Sales Corn Winnipeg@Prod3@WCTCA
Sales Wheat Winnipeg@Prod3@WCTCA

Guidelines

Enter user names in a consistent fashion. For example, avoid entering some names with middle initials and others with middle names if that creates ambiguity. You can enter names in any order (first-middle-last or last-first-middle), but enter all names the same way.
Avoid using a prefix or suffix title as part of a name (Dr., Jr., Sr., II, Esq.) unless the title makes the name unique.

Configuring Attributes

Figure 8-3. STDA Class

Defining which attributes each STDA service stores and collects.
Changing the default attribute labels (for example, changing "Telephone Number" to "Extension") or adding new ones if the defaults are not suitable. You or users supply values for the attributes (for example, telephone numbers).

Locating STDA on the Network

Adding a Satellite Service

Requests by users must route through two or more servers residing on different LAN segments to reach an STDA service.
A server accesses the network over a transient link. If the server has an STDA satellite service added to it, users can get to the STDA database at any time, regardless of whether the link is up or down.
Users who connect to the network through a specific server may want or need to have a customized version of the STDA database. That is, through the use of exclusions, exceptions, and inclusions used on that server's satellite service, a group of users on the network may have a version of the STDA database that no one else uses.

Example STDA Services on a Network

Master services are on Servers 1, 4, and 5. LAN Segment A is connected to the rest of the network by a transient link. The transient link justifies a master service on LAN segment A. LAN B is a backbone LAN.
Server 5, which is centrally located in the network and routes data between LAN Segment B and LAN Segment C, has an STDA master service on it.
The master service on Server 4 collects StreetTalk information from the same StreetTalk services as does the STDA service on Server 5. It acts as a backup to the STDA service on Server 5.
Server 8 has a satellite service. Otherwise, users on LAN Segment D would have to route through three servers (servers 6, 7, and 8) to reach the STDA master service on Server 5.

Figure 8-4. STDA Master and Satellite Services

Restricted Links and STDA

Figure 8-5. STDA and Restricted Links

Designating a Download Server

One satellite service can download data to another satellite service.
Do not designate a satellite service's own server as its download server.

Worksheet

Figure 8-6. STDA Planning Worksheet

Scheduling Rebuilds

Creating Exclusion, Exception, and Inclusion Lists

Exclude from master and satellite services all StreetTalk names except those you want to include. Exclude any names with wildcards (for example, *@*).
Include on master and satellite services all non-VINES names that users need, such as addresses to mail gateway services.
Consider having your master service include all StreetTalk names. Then define the exclusions on the satellite services. This lets administrators of the satellite services customize the database and removes that responsibility from the master service.
If you have a common set of exclusions, define them on the master service to reduce the amount of data transferred across the network and to eliminate each satellite's need to exclude the same names.
If slow speed links connect master and satellite services, let the master service or satellite services that download other services contain only StreetTalk user names. That prevents lists, nicknames, and non-StreetTalk names from being downloaded to satellites. That shortens the time of a download and saves money.

Performance Considerations

Transient links
Network size
Server memory requirements

Transient Links and STDA

Network Size

Place master STDA services on servers that are not heavily loaded. STDA should be one of the few services running, in addition to the VINES services. For example, the local StreetTalk service should be able to respond to STDA and should not be busy with any other services, such as file or print services.
For extremely large and complex networks, consider designating additional servers to run STDA master services.
You should set specific switches to let users direct STDA requests to specific services, rather than broadcasting requests. In large networks requests that are not targeted for specific STDA services may cause excessive network traffic. Managing Users and StreetTalk explains how to create a batch file for users who enter the STDIRECT command and how to add the !SETSTDA command to user profiles. The Command Reference describes the STDIRECT and !SETSTDA commands.

Memory Requirements

STDA Logs

Administrator's Check List

Select the location of the master and satellite services.
Designate download servers.
Schedule rebuilds.
Begin compiling lists of exclusions, exceptions, and inclusions for use when you configure the STDA service.
Become familiar with StreetTalk attributes so STDA can be used to its best advantage.
Add the !SETSTDA command to user profiles so that users will access the appropriate STDA database.

Key Terms

Further Reading

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