OS/2 LAN Manager: Peer Service Information (61036)

SUMMARY

The NET START PEER command starts the server service, according to the parameters defined in [server] section of the LANMAN.INI file. Depending upon how the workstation was originally configured, typing NET START PEER can result in starting a full server. This will happen if the computer was originally installed as a full server, and the "server=" line in the [services] section of LANMAN.INI points to the file NETSVINI.EXE rather than to NETPSINI.EXE. Checking this filename is a reliable way to determine whether the computer is configured as a peer server, or a full server. In reality, there is no "peer" service. You start the "peer" service by calling the server service with a different file and different parameters. When the peer service is installed on a workstation by means of the installation program, there is no need for the command NET START PEER because it inserts "server" as one of workstation services by inserting the following line in LANMAN.INI:

   wrkservices = messenger, netpopup, server

MORE INFORMATION

HOW TO ADMINISTER A PEER SERVER

Peer servers are basically full servers with limited functionality. All of the administration concerns which apply to full servers also apply to peer servers. There are some services that peer servers cannot run, and these are described in the next section. Peer servers can be administered with user-level or share-level security, and can be audited.

LIMITATIONS OF PEER SERVERS

The maximum value for MAXUSERS is 10.
NETPSINI.EXE does not recognize an "autodisconnect=" line. This cannot appear in the [server] section of the LANMAN.INI file.
Peer Servers cannot run the NETLOGON service. This service is not installed in the [services] section of LANMAN.INI by the installation program. If you try to modify the LANMAN.INI file to include the correct settings for NETLOGON, and manually copy NETLOGON.EXE into the \LANMAN\SERVICES directory, you'll an internal error will appear when you attempt to run NET START NETLOGON.
Other services not installed for peer servers are: REMOTEBOOT and TIMESOURCE.
Peer servers allow only one session with any non-IPC connection, in addition to a session reserved for the owner of the server. The owner of the server (whose user name is defined in the [networks] section of LANMAN.INI) may log onto another workstation and get a second session. Similarly, a second user may log on if the server's owner is the only user of a non-IPC share.
Only one computer at a time can queue jobs on the peer server--not including the server computer, which can always queue jobs to itself. This restriction is imposed at connect time, so a user cannot connect until there are no jobs in the queue other than those queued by the host computer. Any single user connected to the queue can have multiple jobs in the queue.