Set Up Communications Across the Network

SAP ASE can communicate with other SAP ASE servers, Open Server applications, and client software across a network.

Clients can communicate with one or more servers, and servers can communicate with other servers via remote procedure calls.

Directory services contain information about the network locations of all SAP ASE servers, Backup Servers, and other server products on the network.

In the SAP client/server environment, a client can connect with SAP ASE if it knows where the server resides on the network and if the server supports the client’s language or character set. When a client initiates a connection, it looks in its directory services for the network location of the target server.

When you are using a client program, and you want to connect with a particular server, the client program looks up the server name in the directory services and connects to that server.

Servers also need network information. When a server starts, it looks in its interfaces file to determine where to listen for client connection requests. In addition, SAP ASE can take on a client role when it makes remote procedure calls to other SAP ASE servers.

• How SAP ASE Determines Which Directory Service Entry to Use
  SAP ASE uses directory services to determine the address at which to listen for clients.
• How a Client Uses Directory Services
  Clients use directory services to determine how to connect to a server.
• Create a Directory Services Entry
  Use SAP ASE utilities to edit the network information in directory services.
• Supported Directory Drivers
  SAP supports several directory drivers: interfaces, Lightweight Directory Services (LDAP), and Cell Directory Services (CDS).
• Contents of the interfaces File
  An interfaces file contains network information about all servers on your network, including SAP ASE, Backup Server, and XP Server, plus any other server applications, such as Replication Server, and any Open Server applications.
• interfaces File Format
  The format for the interfaces file supports the TLI and TCP style entry.
• Create a Master interfaces File
  A master interfaces file contains entries for all SAP servers on the network.
• Configure the interfaces File for Multiple Networks
  On some platforms, SAP ASE can accommodate multiple networks. This allows SAP ASE to listen for clients over multiple network interfaces. You must add an entry for each network interface to the interfaces file.
• IPv6 Support
  SAP ASE supports IPv6 technology.