You can run the Cluster Edition and clients on the same platform or on different platforms.
If the platforms are different, each platform may require a different format and configuration for its interfaces file. Figure 20-1 illustrates how a PC client uses network information in its interfaces file (sql.ini) to connect to an instance running on UNIX, and how an instance uses its interfaces file to connect to another server during a remote procedure call.
Figure 20-1: Establishing network connections in a heterogeneous environment
If both a client and a server are running under UNIX, the same interfaces file is valid for both. Figure 20-2 illustrates how clients and instances running in a homogeneous environment can use copies of the interfaces file to establish connections. Because the two instances are running under the same operating system, they can use the same interfaces file or exact copies of the same file.
Figure 20-2: Establishing network connections in a homogeneous environment
