The interface between the server and remote servers is handled by the Open Client software, Client-Library™. The Client-Library features that are used to implement the interface are dependent upon the class of server with which Component Integration Services is interacting.
For example, if the server class is direct_connect, a number of features such as cursor and dynamic requests are used.
Before the server can interact with a remote server, you must configure the following:
Remote server addition to directory services
Remote server definition
Remote server login information
Remote object definition
Before accessing remote tables with Component Integration Services, you must either have access to LDAP directory services, or an interfaces file (sql.ini file on Windows platforms). For more information about accessing remote tables, see “Connection management”. For information on setting up directory services, see the configuration documentation for your platform. See Appendix A, “Tutorial,” which serves as a basic tutorial for Component Integration Services users.
Remote servers are defined by means of the stored procedure sp_addserver. This procedure is documented in the Reference Manual.
Once you have configured the remote server, you must provide login information. By default, Component Integraiton Services uses the names and passwords of Adaptive Server clients whenever it connects to a remote server on behalf of those clients. However, this default can be overridden using sp_addexternlogin, which allows a system administrator to define the name and password for each user who connects to a remote server.
Using connect to server_name, you can verify that the server configuration is correct. This command establishes a passthrough mode connection to the remote server. Passthrough mode allows clients to communicate with remote servers in native syntax. This passthrough mode remains in effect until you issue a disconnect command.
Once you have configured a remote server, you cannot access objects in that remote server as tables until a mapping between them and a local object (proxy table) has been established.
You can create new tables on remote servers, and you can define the schema for an existing object in a remote server. The procedures for both are similar.
