The interface file contains a list of labels, typically server names, each of which has a corresponding host name and port number, where the identified server should be “listening” for login requests.
Replication Server is an Open Server application; the preferred method for determining the location (host and port number) of another Open Server application is to look up the location in a file.
In the interaction between an ECDA database gateway and a Replication Server, the interface file is important. Because the Replication Server attempts to log in to the service identified by the server name in the Replication Server connection, that service name must exist in the Replication Server interface file. In addition, the interface file entry must also exist as a service name in the ECDA gateway configuration file entries.
A single ECDA can act as a gateway for one or many different database instances. In the ECDA configuration, each database to be accessed by the ECDA is configured as a unique service name. For the Replication Server to know which configured service name to connect to, it uses the server name passed at login time and expects to find a matching service name to use to complete the connection. The connection must match an interface file entry. For Microsoft SQL Server, the database name must be a valid database for that service. For more information about the role of service names and their configurations, see the ECDA Access Service Users Guide.