Using the SERVER command in SYSGEN

This tip explains how to use the SERVER command in your SYSGEN configuration. This tip is a supplement and update to the available SYSGEN documentation.

The SERVER command is used to define network connections between Comet 98 (and Comet 504) and Signature Systems server products, such as CometServe NLM, CometServe 32 or Comet Security Server. There are two places where the SERVER command is used in a SYSGEN configuration file (referred to as an "INI" file):

• In the [SITE] segment, to declare and identify the Comet Servers in the network

• In the [NODE] segment, to define how given Comet Server will be used (if at all) by each node

For example, here is a portion of an INI file that defines a Comet Server (in this case, a Novell Netware server running CometServe NLM) and two nodes. Notice that the SERVER command is used in the [SITE] segment and the [NODE] segment. The comments explain each statement in this example. See below for complete syntax information and more examples.

  SYSGEN command                           Comment
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

  [SITE]
    SERVER = N01,NLM,L,Comet_Server_1;     Server number N01 is a Novell
                                           Netware server running
                                           CometServe NLM, identifying
                                           itself as Comet_Server_1

  [NODE]
    SERVER = N01,FS;                       This node uses server N01 
                                           for both type-S directory
                                           access and security. 

  [NODE]
    SERVER = N01,F;                        This node uses server N01
                                           for type-S directory access
                                           only. Security comes from a
                                           single user plug.

Important Notes Starting with Comet 98 Build 256, the SERVER command is required by Comet 98 systems connecting with Novell Servers running CometServe NLM. The SERVER command remains optional in previous versions of Comet 98, and all versions of Comet 504. This command is NOT required for type-N directory file access under any version of Comet. This command has always been (and remains) required to connect with CometServe 32 and Comet Security Server.

The [SITE] Segment

In an INI file, the [SITE] segment contains information that defines a particular Comet site, including optional descriptive information (name, address, phone number, etc.) and information identifying the Comet Servers at the site.  The Comet Server information is declared using the SERVER command.

The syntax for the [SITE] SERVER command is:

  [SITE]
    SERVER = server-number, channel, flag, nlm-id-or-address;

The table below describes the field parameters of the [SITE] SERVER command:

Declaring the Server Running CometServe 32
and/or Comet Security Server

This section explains how to define a server that is running the CometServe 32 File System and/or the Comet Security Server.  These products use the TCP communications protocol.  The syntax is:

  [SITE] 
    SERVER = server-number, TCP, flag, IP-address;

Notes:

• The local/remote flag works as follows:

• The fourth parameter is the IP address of the machine where CometServe 32 and/or the Comet Security Server is running.

Here are two examples of this version of the SERVER command:

Defining a local server named N01, running CometServe 32 and/or the Comet Security Server, with an IP address of 192.168.1.1.

  [SITE]
    SERVER = N01,TCP,L,192.168.1.1;

Defining multiple servers. The first server is like example 1. The second server is a remote server named N02, running CometServe 32 and/or the Comet Security Server 32, with an IP address of 207.46.131.15.

  [SITE]
    SERVER = N01,TCP,L,192.168.1.1;
    SERVER = N02,TCP,R,207.46.131.15;

Declaring the CometServe NLM Server

This section explains how to define a Novell server that is running the CometServe NLM File and Security System.  The syntax is:

  [SITE] 
    SERVER = server-number, NLM, flag, nlm-name;

Notes:

• At this time the local/remote flag has no effect when defining a Novell server running CometServe NLM.
• The fourth parameter is the NLM name of the machine where CometServe NLM is running.  Under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to specify the fully-qualified IPX address of the server instead of the NLM name.  Thus, there are two ways to specify this value:
• The preferred method is to use the NLM name advertised by CometServe NLM, a value displayed on the CometServe NLM Console.  This name is registered in the Netware bindery for Comet to identify the machines running CometServe NLM.  This name is defined when the NLM is loaded.  The default value is Comet_Server_1.  If multiple CometServe NLMs are running in the network, each one must have its own unique name (Comet_Server_2, Comet_Server_3, etc.).
• Alternatively, you can use the fully-qualified IPX address of the Netware server running CometServe NLM.
  This address must be in the form: aaaaaaaa:bbbbbbbbbbbb
  
  where:
  aaaaaaaa = network number
  bbbbbbbbbbbb = node number (also known as the "Mac address")
  

  These values are identified by the network administrator.

Defining a local Novell server named N01, with a locally advertised server name of Comet_Server_1.

  [SITE] 
    SERVER = N01,NLM,L,Comet_Server_1;

The [NODE] Segment

In an INI file, the [NODE] segment contains information that defines a particular Comet node, including descriptive information and various identification values.  The SERVER command is used in this section to define how each server will be used (if at all) by the node.

The syntax for the [NODE] SERVER command is:

  [NODE]
    SERVER = server-number,usage code;

The table below describes the field parameters of the [NODE] SERVER command:

Defining a server for both type-S directory file access and security:

  [NODE]
    SERVER = N01,FS;

Defining a server for type-S directory file access only (security must come from single user plug):

  [NODE]
    SERVER = N01,F;

Defining multiple servers. Security will come from N01, while type-S directory file access will only come from N02 and N03.

  [NODE]
    SERVER = N01,S;
    SERVER = N02,F;
    SERVER = N03,F;

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