Client Functions Can't Use TCP/IP Sockets on SNA Server (165705)

SYMPTOMS

When running SNA Admin, SNA Manager, or any SNA applications on an SNA Server, the Admin/Manager program or SNA application always uses named pipes when communicating to other SNA Servers in the subdomain. There is no way to force SNA Admin or the SNA application to use a non-named pipe transport (such as TCP/IP sockets or IPX/SPX).

CAUSE

When initiating client functions from an SNA Server, the DMOD would always choose the first LAN transport configured, which always defaults to Microsoft Networking named pipes (Snalm.dll), even when named pipes is not selected during SNA Server Setup. The named pipe transport is always used on the SNA Server, because this transport supports file access to the shared SNA Server configuration file, which is always performed over Microsoft Networking.

RESOLUTION

Updates to SNA Server versions 2.11 (post Service Pack 2) and 3.0 are available to correct this problem. With this update applied on an SNA Server, SNA Server Admin (and other client functions) can now use TCP/IP sockets or other non-named pipe transport methods to communicate with other SNA Servers in the SNA subdomain.

Within SNA Server Setup, the administrator defines what client LAN transports the server will support. If both named pipes and TCP/IP sockets are chosen, then the following registry value must be added to allow SNA Admin (or any SNA application running on the SNA Server) to use TCP/IP sockets instead of named pipes:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SnaBase\Parameters

   Value Name:  TransportBase
   Data Type:  REG_DWORD

   Data: 1

NOTE: The first TransportBase is 0 which always points to Snalm.dll.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SNA Server versions 2.11, 2.11 Service Pack 1, 2.11 Service Pack 2, and 3.0. This problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft SNA Server 3.0 U.S. Service Pack. 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