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Chapter 11 - Configuring the Server-to-Server Option

Introduction

Specify another server with which you will establish a server-to-server connection.
Modify server entries that appear on the Manage Server-to-Server Connections screen.
Delete server entries that appear on the Manage Server-to-Server Connections screen.
Enable or disable entries that appear on the Manage Server-to-Server Connections screen.
Automatically establish server-to-server connections.
Display the status of all currently operating connections.

Worksheets

Figure 11-1. Sample TCP/IP Server Information Worksheet

Accessing Server-to-Server Functions

Server - The name of the server. If the name is not yet known, the field displays a question mark (?).

Serial No. - The serial number of the server.

IP Address - The IP address of the target server's interface. This interface is the one that connects the target server to the foreign host gateway through which you are establishing the connection.

Subnetwork Mask - The subnetwork mask corresponding to the IP address.

Metric - This is an approximation of the amount of time (in 200-millisecond increments) required by the network to move a packet from your server to the target server. This setting is dependent on the type of physical media in your network.

MPS - Maximum packet size. This is usually the largest packet size supported by the media in your network. A setting of zero allows the system to use a default setting that corresponds to the physical media of the interface. Also referred to as MTU (Maximum Transfer Unit).

Sts - The status of the connection between your server and the target server, either E (enabled) or D (disabled), and the type of encapsulation used on the connection, either I (IP) or U (UDP).

Server-to-Server Management Tasks

Adding a Server Entry

1. At the Manage Server-to-Server Connections menu, choose Add a server entry. The Add a server entry screen appears.

Only those servers that have recently communicated with the server being configured are listed.

Note: Servers configured through the Manage Routing through VINES Networks option do not appear on this list.

2. Choose a server from the list. If the server with which you want to establish a connection is not in the list, press F2 and enter the serial number of the target server.

If you choose a server from the list, the Configure a Server Entry screen appears.

If you chose the server from the list, its name is shown. Otherwise, a question mark (?) appears in the Server Name field.

3. Enter the IP address of the VINES server with which you want to communicate. When you press ENTER at the IP Address field, the Specify Subnetwork Mask screen appears.

4. Specify the appropriate subnetwork mask. When you press ENTER, the Specify Server-to-Server Configuration screen appears.

5. Enter the appropriate values for the routing metric, the maximum IP packet size, and the type of encapsulation. The next three sections provide guidelines for determining these values. If you use the default value (0) for the Maximum IP Packet Size, the configuration program uses a packet size that corresponds to the physical interface of the server. For example, if the server uses an Ethernet interface, the packet size will be 1500. The default encapsulation type is IP.

Determining the Routing Metric

Caution: Changing the Routing Metric setting from the Specify Server-to-Server configuration screen may adversely affect the VINES network topology.

Table 11-1. Metrics for Different Types of Links

Figure 11-2. Routing Through Three Physical Interfaces

Metric = 45 + 4 + 2 = 51

Determining the Maximum IP Packet Size

What is the packet size supported on the media in your network? Some media, such as ProNET, support packet sizes larger than 1500 bytes.
If you are establishing a default gateway, what is the supported packet size of the media you use to reach that default gateway?
If you have routers and gateways in your IP network, what packet sizes do they support?

Deciding Which Encapsulation Type to Use

Fragmentation

1. Broken into smaller packets

2. Transmitted

3. Reassembled when it is received at its destination

Figure 11-3. No Fragmentation by the Gateway Is Necessary

Modifying a Server Entry

1. At the Manage Server-to-Server Connections menu, choose MODIFY a Server Entry.

2. Select the entry you wish to modify. Display the screens that contain server information, and modify the information accordingly. See "Adding a Server Entry" earlier in this chapter if you need information on these screens.

3. When you have finished modifying information, return to the Manage Server-to-Server Connections screen. This screen shows the new information you entered for the server.

Note: Changing the metric will affect the server's view of the network topology and force both ends of the connection to re-synchronize their routing table entries based on the new metric.

Deleting a Server Entry

Caution: Deleting a server entry may make that server, and all servers you access through that server, unreachable.

1. At the Manage Server-to-Server Connections menu, choose DELETE a Server Entry.

2. Select the entry you wish to delete.

3. The configuration program prompts you for confirmation. Specify YES to delete the entry, or NO to cancel the deletion. YES is the default.

Enabling and Disabling a Server Entry

Caution: Disabling a server entry may make that server and all servers you access through that server unreachable.

1. At the Manage Server-to-Server Connections menu, choose ENABLE/DISABLE a Server Entry.

2. Select the entry you wish to enable or disable.

3. The configuration program prompts you for confirmation. Specify YES to complete the operation, or NO to cancel the operation. YES is the default.

Server-to-Server Management Options

Enabling and Disabling Automatic Connectivity
Displaying the Status of Connections

Enabling and Disabling Automatic Connectivity

Caution: Your server does not have any control over which server attaches to it. Therefore, you should carefully set up your network security. Refer to Managing VINES Security for more information.

1. At the Manage Server-to-Server Connections menu, choose ENABLE/DISABLE Automatic Connectivity.

2. The configuration program prompts you for confirmation. Specify YES to complete the operation, or NO to cancel the operation. YES is the default.

Caution: Disabling automatic connectivity removes any automatically configured server entries, as well as any VINES routes associated with these server entries. This could adversely affect the VINES network topology.

Displaying the Status of Connections

Table 11-2. Flags on the Display Status of Connections Menu

Flag Meaning
 0 No connection has been established. If this connection is not disabled, the server with which you are trying communicate has not responded, still in request mode
 1 Server is connected. A VINES routing packet has been received from this routing server. Use MNET to verify whether full routing information has been exchanged.
 2 This server-to-server connection has been automatically established. This server is not locally configured but it has been able to establish a connection to your server because automatic connectivity is enabled.
 8 This connection was manually disabled. If this flag is set, flag 1 will not be set.
 20 This server-to-server connection has been established as a result of a UDP redirect. If this flag is set, flag 2 will not be set.

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